The Cage Was Unlocked All Along ~ CD  Ref: CHEM126 CD
	THE SKINNY Glasgow-based three-piece Zoey van Goey seem to have been about forever (that’s not a name you’re likely to forget), yet their recordings have been minimal. While ‘hotly anticipated’ might be a slightly hyperbolic term to describe this album, the band held their own with a packed tent as REM headlined T in the Park's main stage last summer; they’ve certainly set tongues wagging. Happily, The Cage Was Unlocked All Along doesn’t disappoint. This is intelligent, humorous, pleasant twee-pop that, from the well-crafted song structures to the wonderful cover art, possesses the warmth and attention to detail of an authentic indie collector's item. A history of involvement with Stuart Murdoch is reflected in a palpable B&S influence, but rather than being mere pastiche, ZvG have a pronounced sound of their own. Lead single We Don’t Have That Kind of Bread stands out on an excellent album that could ably soundtrack any (admittedly rare) sunny day in Glasgow. [4/5] www.musicOMH.com Hadrian's Wall was built to prevent raids from the fearsome Scottish Pictish tribes. Ask Mel Gibson about Scottish culture and he'll probably grab another bottle of whiskey, paint his face blue and start waving a stick about like a maniac. Assuming that he's not already in that state when you raise the issue. Zoey Van Goey couldn't be more at odds with this view of all things Scottish if they tried. As with fellow countrymen Belle and Sebastian, theirs is a world of sweet heavy knit cardigans, sunshine and fluffy bunny rabbits. Yep, another twee band from Glasgow - it must be something they put in the water up there. Not that we're complaining, of course, for this is fine stuff indeed. The Belle And Sebastian comparisons are obvious but not entirely unjustified, seeing as Stuart Murdoch produced their first single. But more of that later. For a band that later reveals itself to have a fairly sunny disposition it seems a peculiar choice to start your debut album on a downbeat number, but that's just what Zoey Van Goey do. The Best Treasure Stays Buried's plaintive guitars quiver quietly behind a sweet vocal from Kim Moore who constantly reminds us to "remember it'll all blow over". And blow over it does as the band find their stride with We Don't Have That Kind of Bread. Rather than a tale of an awkward customer in a bakery, it tells the story of a couple who can't leave their house for fear of getting kidnapped and not being able to afford the ransom. It a subject that most bands would explore in a fidgety coke driven paranoiac state, but in the hands of Zoey Van Goey it's practically a nursery rhyme. The clever lyrics and an irresistible chorus hook calls to mind the much missed Dogs Die In Hot Cars - really a bigger compliment than you might think. We All Hid In Basements is an apocalyptic yarn which finds our new favourite band cowering in their basement amongst stacks of baked beans praying to Super Mario for a miracle as the machines take over. Ten years ago, this song would have been billed as pre-millennial angst but now it sounds like the Terminator franchise with characters knitted by your mum. It stands out by being one of the few songs here that makes full use of the male/female vocals the band employs while also changing tack instrumentally to embrace a bit of glitchy electronica. Foxtrot Vandals, the Murdoch-produced single, races off with that indie-drum beat that permeated every song with slightly dancey pretentions in the late '80s, sounding like a skittish version of Funky Drummer. It's the only song here with a zing in its step, the lush vocals and dainty keyboards propelled with a percussive itch that the band can't quite scratch. Murdoch's production has a light touch and allows the band to breathe - if attention wasn't drawn to his name, you'd barely know he was there. Foxtrot Vandals may be the most uptempo song here but Zoey Van Goey hardly have feet of clay. It's just that they can quite happily sit in a mid-paced groove and charm you with their intelligence and honeyed pop. There probably isn't a song here that you won't find echoing around your head at some point, distracting us from our chores. For that reason alone we should probably rebuild that wall, for Zoey Van Goey could destroy what's left of our already fragile economy south of the border. Maybe Mel Gibson can make that movie. [4/5] NME Twee and sweet and kinda lovable In a city where Buckfast-wielding neds roam through the streets in packs, it’s good to know a Glasgow-based band like Zoey Van Goey can flourish, with their nice cardigans, nice fruit teas and other nice things. This cuddlecore trio have learnt from their city’s past forays into twee, adopting sugary boy/girl harmonies (‘We Don’t Have That Kind Of Bread’), ornate strings (‘The Best Treasure Stays Buried’) and the odd kooky tale (‘Two White Ghosts’). Thankfully, this is charming folk-pop as Brooklyn’s The Essex Green see it, not the same demented world Belle And Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch inhabits. SUBBA-CULTCHA Delightfully experimental indie. Like the set-up to an outdated seventies joke, the members of 'Zoey Van Goey' hail from Canada, Ireland and England but found each other and honed their gorgeous sound in Glasgow. Debut single 'Foxtrot Vandals' has seen the light in the form of a vinyl release and the BBC came calling soon after. Their debut album 'The Cage Was Unlocked All Along' is a light jaunt through a number of lo-fi genres from the dreamy and dreary (The Best Treasure Stays Buried) to up front pop standards (We Don't Have That Kind Of Bread) and onwards throughout an experimental album full of delights. A band so easy to fall in love with and not a dodgy punch line in sight. [4/5]