Best of 2009: Eli Crews of New, Improved Recording on Michael Zapruder

Michael Zapruder’s most recent record, mouthfully entitled Dragon Chinese Cocktail Horoscope, provides pleasure on multiple levels. Most striking at first, at least to the ears of an engineer, is the abundance of successful production ideas. Zapruder and co-producer Scott Solter (John Vanderslice, The Mountain Goats) provide many juicy moments for the headphone set, but always in service of the song at hand. The stylistic eclecticism of the record appeals greatly to the ADD in me, but somehow the record still seems grounded and whole — Zapruder’s voice is strong and expressive, and provides the necessary thread between piano ballads and electro-pop. Many of the songs take unexpected turns, (reference the bitch’n flute break in “Ads For Feelings”), and others contain nuggets of compositional complexity without sounding complex. It may take a few listens to digest all of the layers on this record, but in my humble opinion it’s very well worth the time spent.

03-Ads-For-Feelings.mp3
Michael Zapruder – “Ads For Feelings”

Eli Crews is the owner of New, Improved Recording in Oakland, California and a partner in our New, Improved, LIVE recording sessions.