The Big Decider is the fourth studio album by English rock band the Zutons, released on 26 April 2024 through Icepop. It is the band's first album in 16 years, following You Can Do Anything (2008), their disbandment the following year, and reformation in 2018. The album was produced by Ian Broudie, Nile Rodgers, and band member Sean Payne and was promoted with a tour of the UK in early 2024.[1] It received generally positive reviews from critics.
| The Big Decider | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 April 2024 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Length | 35:31 | |||
| Label | Icepop | |||
| Producer | ||||
| The Zutons chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[3] |
| Classic Rock | 7/10[4] |
| Mojo |   [5] |
| MusicOMH |  [6] |
The Big Decider received a score of 80 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, which the website categorised as "generally favorable" reception.[2] Classic Rock felt that the album "sees the Zutons back to their happy clapping playful best",[4] while Mojo called it "uplifting, rueful and expertly crafted".[5]
Emma Harrison of Clash described it as "a real statement of intent" as well as "an absolute suckerpunch of an album which reflects the love and chemistry the band and the collaborators have for each other".[3] Ben Hogwood of MusicOMH wrote that the nine songs display "the band's leaner approach, but they show that McCabe's eye for a memorable song remains", but "their songs are not – yet – quite as memorable as those from the band's first iteration".[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Dave McCabe, Abi Harding, and Sean Payne; "In Your Arms" written with Ian Broudie; "Disappear", "The Big Decider", and "Rise" written with Neil Bradley.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Creeping on the Dancefloor" | Nile Rodgers | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Pauline" | Sean Payne | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Water" | Payne | 3:36 |
| 4. | "In Your Arms" | Ian Broudie | 3:43 |
| 5. | "Disappear" |
| 5:06 |
| 6. | "Company" | Rodgers | 3:59 |
| 7. | "The Big Decider" | Broudie | 3:28 |
| 8. | "Rise" | Payne | 3:55 |
| 9. | "Best of Me" |
| 3:18 |
| Total length: | 35:31 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "In Your Arms" (Live) | 4:21 |
| 11. | "Pauline" (Live) | 4:23 |
| 12. | "Disappear" (Live) | 5:23 |
| 13. | "Company" (Live) | 4:05 |
| 14. | "Water" (Live) | 3:46 |
| 15. | "Best of Me" (Live) | 3:53 |
| 16. | "The Big Decider" (Live) | 3:19 |
| 17. | "Rise" (Live) | 3:52 |
| 18. | "Creeping on the Dancefloor" (Live) | 5:09 |
Note
- ^[a] signifies an additional producer
Personnel
editThe Zutons
- Dave McCabe – vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitars (all tracks); synthesizer (track 5), screwdriver guitars (6, 8), slide guitar (9)
- Abi Harding – backing vocals (all tracks), saxophone (tracks 2–9)
- Sean Payne – drums, percussion (all tracks); backing vocals (tracks 1–5, 7–9), additional recording (2, 3, 7–9), bass guitar (5, 9), additional keyboards (5), additional engineering (6), acoustic guitar (8, 9)
Additional musicians
- Neil Bradley – keyboards (tracks 1–5, 7–9), piano (1, 5, 9), backing vocals (1), electric piano (6)
- Jay Lewis – bass guitar (tracks 1, 6, 8), backing vocals (1), lead guitar (2–8), claps (7)
- Boyan Chowdhury – guitar, backing vocals (track 1)
- Tim Cunningham – bass guitar (tracks 2–4, 7)
- Ian Broudie – backing vocals (tracks 4, 7)
- Ben Truman – strings (tracks 4, 7)
- Russell Graham – additional keyboards (tracks 5, 6)
- Nile Rodgers – speech (track 5)
Technical
- Nick Watson – mastering
- Mike Crossey – mixing (track 1)
- Stephen Harris – mixing (tracks 2–9), recording (2–4, 7)
- Leon Pearce – mixing (tracks 10–19)
- Russell Graham – recording (tracks 1, 5, 6, 9)
- Joe Rubel – recording (track 9)
- Tom Roach – additional recording (tracks 5, 6)
- John Barrett – additional engineering (tracks 5, 6)
- Andy Maxwell – recording assistance (tracks 1, 5, 6, 9)
- Jack Boston – recording assistance (tracks 2–4, 7)
Visuals
- Scott Jones Studio – art direction, design
- Graham Blackburn – live photography
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] | 8 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 7 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[9] | 1 |
References
edit- ^ Dunworth, Liberty (14 November 2023). "The Zutons announce first album in 16 years, produced by Nile Rodgers and Ian Broudie". NME. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ a b "The Big Decider by the Zutons". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ a b Harrison, Emma (26 April 2024). "The Zutons – The Big Decider". Clash. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ a b "The Zutons – The Big Decider". Classic Rock. June 2024. p. 79.
- ^ a b "The Zutons – The Big Decider". Mojo. June 2024. p. 89.
- ^ a b Hogwood, Ben (27 April 2024). "The Zutons – The Big Decider | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2024.