Making a statement in the opening bars of any album is key to hooking a listener. Time is short, The Zombies’ work knows that. Its five-minute title track hits through with a tenderness and an energy-capturing introduction for Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone, who strike through with a string and piano-clad ballad. Ease away from the term “return to form”, Argent and Blunstone never lost that consistency. Even those lesser-remembered bits and pieces, As Far As I Can See…, has nice highs and solidity to them. Different Game is a different level entirely, though. A sincere push through to rack up a series of tracks that come closer and closer to achieving the quality of the heyday, with a handful of quality songs and some string sections that grip the fundamentals of punchy, acceptable rock pop numbers.
After listening to Dropped Reeling & Stupid so often following the shock release, it has maintained its charm. There is some reverence for it, for how it represents this new phase of The Zombies, drawing that line between nostalgia and commanding new stylings, but Different Game does better with that elsewhere. Second track Rediscover finds itself opening with slower, crooning intentions from Blunstone. That much is displayed with the wistfulness of the track, a veteran of the industry reflecting on accomplishment and placement. There is a tender Beach Boys-like style to it and the cohesion from those backing singers. Run Away does well to capture that glory too, although some differences in the opening would give The Zombies a better swerve of broader quality.
Every track follows a similar structure. Thankfully, that structure is a solid one that works well for the ten tracks here. It is slower in tempo, reliant on those touching moments of piano and the vocal strength is still displayed. The gentle opening and closing notes of You Could Be My Love feel underwhelming when the powerhouse at the core is the lyrical clarity and the crisp, Argent-led beauty of it. Many of the tracks on here though, once they have receded from the ears and tucked themselves back onto the record, are fairly forgettable. They are good in bursts. Merry Go Round has some strong piano playing tucked in alongside a solid bit of guitar work, both intending to boost The Zombies’ lyrics – a rock-and-ready track that will settle into those halfway points for live shows. Different Game leans further toward the ballads, though. Love You appears as the most obvious example of an otherwise solid bunch. I Want to Fly, though, is as dry as it gets and the clear change of pace, the running out of steam, is felt toward the end of this album.
Tailored it may be, Different Game has no real faults to it, just moments that elevate themselves higher than others. Merry Go Round and the title track particularly feel much stronger and far more powerful than the slower ballads, although the reliance on those potentially moving pieces is understandable. The Zombies have managed a solid album, one that will no doubt delight those gasping for more tracks from the legendary group. Different Game is worth a go around, but it is not too different of a game from what Argent and Blunstone have been playing for the last fifty-eight years. Consistency is a good articulation; Different Game is a good album.
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