Zach Tabori returns with a bold, concept-driven and sonically expansive work Attack of the Clout Chasers stitched from diverse genres and musical styles. Known for being multi-instrumentalist with boundary-pushing sonic works, his latest work is more than just an album. It thrives on its own, not built for instant gratification but demands to be deciphered — inviting you to sit with its complexities and confront its layered meanings.
The album welcomes you with Rotten, a 64-second presentation of the theme and core in its purest and stripped down form. It does not aim to impress nor overperform – it invites you to listen as it marks itself lightly with only an acoustic guitar and a voice laid bare in soft and quiet vulnerability. It’s sad, real and human, a type of song meant to be played in moments of solitude, like sitting alone in a field or by the river while tossing out rocks, feeling the weight of the past and present.
Contrary to the opening track, Nann Ray begs to be played loud with interesting dynamic shifts from its tempo and melody that builds tension to unravel a grim perspective of global warfare, opening gates for unknown interdimensional chaos. While Rotten speaks to you quietly, Nann Ray, on the other hand, launches itself to you unapologetically with its post-apocalyptic sci-fi epic wrapped in a cinematic multi-layered arrangement.
Followed by In A Thin White Shirt, the third track provokes and criticizes, echoing the theatrical and exaggerated textures of 70s art rock. The lyrics are sarcastic and satirical, mocking straight American males and their toxic and misguided approach to sexual impulses and masculinity. The track is daring and sharp, not letting you breath, forcing you to listen and engage.
After indulging you to a surge of electrifying energy and catharsis, it will suddenly transport you in a private hotel’s cocktail bar with the track Jazz to Showcase Our Musicianship. Confusing? I know. But it does stay true to its title, giving you exactly just that. It’s an unexpected shift, a contrast from the first tracks that invites you to sit still, calm your nerves, and listen to what’s more to come.
Then JFK comes crashing in after the calm and laid back atmosphere. It’s a bold and provocative release, it sees the Kennedy administration and the family’s legacy through objective lens and offers nuanced perspective beyond the glory and honor their name bears. Aside from its excellent production and arrangement, it’s notable how the track conveys deeper societal and political aspects, like how glorified and celebrated certain figures are to the point where the gray areas, the myth, and controversies are overshadowed and ignored.
Heading to the next standout track, Taliban Boogie started with a storm of rhythm and movement. Drums are punchy and groovy along with jazz textures nearing the end of the track. It confronts head on the military-industrial complex, the people and the industry that profits from war and militarization.
The album concluded with a tidal wave of orchestral colors that sounds rich, dramatic, and classic with End of the Fucking World. It’s a haunting sonic narrative that circles around loss, grief, and emotional ruin. The arrangement paints the grace of ballet and richness of orchestral textures, as the vocals dance along the delicate soundscape.
Overall, the Attack of the Clout Chasers is an all-out genre crash where chaos holds it together. It’s like a vibrant and intriguing pathwork of genres that is a must-listen. And the moment you’ve decided you already know everything about it, it laughs in front of you and unravels more of it, telling to your face that it took you so long to catch up.
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