Panels from Midnight Mystery comic book issue #5, 1963
It's easy to justify missing Zumpano the first time around - they only really existed for two years, during which they put out two excellent records on Sub Pop and then dropped off the map. In fact, if frontman Carl Newman hadn't gone on to organize his immensely successful New Pornographers project, there probably wouldn't be much interest in the Zumpano records. But, even though there is a lot of interest from fans of Newman's recent bands and solo records, the two Zumpano records were out of print for a long time and have not been given the deluxe reissue treatment they deserve, reportedly because Newman himself finds them embarrassing. I don't know if he's just overly critical of his own work - he gives this impression in interviews, at least - but it's not really fair to fans of his songwriting to leave these excellent records languishing in relative obscurity.
The second Zumpano record, Goin' Through Changes, is a hard one to pin down, and I think that's why it's one of my favorite things Newman has done. It's a very "sophisticated" guitar-pop record that shows an interest in baroque-pop arrangements and ambitious, dynamic song structures. Few of the songs have obvious hooks, but they are catchy nevertheless, in often unexpected ways. "It Doesn't Take a Genius", for instance, has a shuffling, hesitant momentum to its verses, and the abbreviated chorus is almost subtle to a fault. Michael Ledwidge's Zombies-aping harpsichord is a big part of the song's appeal - I get the impression that he was a big part of this album's approach and sound. The restraint and patience in how it unfolds shows that Newman's songwriting was mature this early in his career, making it even more puzzling that he thinks that this album is a mortifying portrait of youthful awkwardness.
"It Doesn't Take a Genius" by Zumpano
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