Album Review

Zoey Van Goey – The Cage Was Unlocked All Along

• 16th May 2009

‘The Cage Was Unlocked All Along’ is the debut album from Glaswegian trio Zoey Van Goey, who if you haven’t heard them before, possess a certain quality that seems to make you instantly fall in love with them and their quirky, awkward indie-based sound. So quaint and gentle are the tracks that they almost transport the listener back to the innocence of childhood, and if this doesn’t do it for you, then you clearly had a rough childhood and its probably best not to discuss in a music review. Get help.

Perhaps it’s the beautifully petal-soft vocal of keyboardist Kim Moore that is responsible for invoking these connotations, but combined with the hypnotic strum of guitar and the tip-toeing of the keys, Zoey van Goey make it incredibly easy for the listener to get dragged into a world of peace, love and a manner of similar things that I don’t normally have the patience for. Undeniably likeable from start to finish, The Cage Was Unlocked All Along wisely refrains from sticking to the beaten path of lullaby music with meaningful lyrics and as a result, blossoms into a varied record on the whole. Whilst tracks like ‘Nae Wonder’ , ‘Cotton Covering’ and ‘City Is Exploding’ fly the flag for blissful melodies; more upbeat, and at times, urgent sounding tracks like ‘Sweethearts In Disguise’, ‘We All Hid In Basements’ and ‘Foxtrot Vandals’ ensure that The Cage Was Unlocked All Along as a record, proves itself as varied and exciting, whilst still managing to maintain some sort of band identification.

If you’re prepared to let the delicate, emotional side of your character shine, then Zoey Van Goey are definitely a worthy band that will not disappoint with this fantastically mature debut long-player.