Zach Deputy
Wash it in the Water Review
New Album and new Tour Dates.
By Miles Hurley
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In support of the grand release of his latest album, Wash It In The Water, island-funk master and one-man-groove-machine Zach Deputy has been touring hard, as always throwing down seriously fun and seriously funky shows every step of the way.
Continuing a North East leg of his tour, Zach Deputy will be returning to a number of beloved music spots that always love his company, including Providence’s The Spot Underground, Toads Place in New Haven, Nectar’s in Burlington, The Jewel in Manchester, Buffalo Iron Works, Saratoga’s Putnam Den, Flour City Station in Rochester, and then onto the Waterhole Music Lounge in Saranac. He’ll end his Northern adventures at the Saint in Asbury Park, before taking the party down to Virginia.
To get myself psyched for some live Deputy, I have been spinning Wash It In The Water all week.
Check out a 7 year old video of Zach doing Wash it in the Water at Skipper’s in Tampa. From the youtube channel of Nikko
One of the biggest things to discover in this new album is what seems to be a growing influence of a hip-hop style of performance. Most of the tracks on this record are heavily vocal, with Deputy veering between his suave and more lush singing voice, and sharper, swifter rapping. This latter second is prominent especially on tracks like “Put It In The Boogie,” The Music,” and “You Got it All,” which seem to be more a platform for Deputy’s lyrical expression. That may hit listeners in different ways, but for this fan it’s a very cool thing, and expertly done.
But what will make long-time fans feel right at home with Deputy on this new effort is the very natural feel for rhythm, arguably Deputy’s most powerful asset. Every song, even the slower tracks, brings the returning conviction that the perfect groove exists for every purpose, and just has to be found.
To round out these beat-centric purposes, instrumentation, which varies from acoustic and electric guitar riffs, to drum and synth tracks, to some complimentary horns here and there, is used delicately most of the time, but always punctually. When things like the guitar-picking (like on “Scrambled Eggs”) or crispy bass lines do flare up, it’s a welcome treat.
The second half of the album makes a noticeable shift in feel, with tracks like “Loving You,” and “Some Days Are Harder,” boldly diverting into different territory, into a much more personal, and heartfelt, sound.
This album truly works as nice little pallet, then, of varying styles into which Zach has ventured over the years to showcase his particular skills, from the crunchy to the bluesy to the definitely soulful. And it’s bookended throughout by a resolute, infectious positivity. This has always been a secret strength to Deputy: that no matter the form, no matter the musical place he’s coming from, he’s a gifted songwriter, which is, to say the obvious, an especially necessary trait of solo artists.
Check out some of this newer material at one of the Deputy’s upcoming shows, and if you’ve never been, it’s about time you live the experience of a ZD show!
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2cKvFEn
Apple Music: http://apple.co/2cpfwVB
Full Zach Deputy 2016 Winter Tour:
Nov. 25 FRI – The Spot Underground Providence RI
Nov. 26 SAT – Toad’s Place New Haven, CT
Nov. 27 SUN – Jewel Manchester, NH
Nov 29 TUE – Buffalo Iron Works Buffalo, NY
Nov. 30 WED – Nectar’s Burlington, VT
Dec. 2 FRI – Putnam Den Saratoga Springs, NY
Dec. 3 SAT – Flour City Station Rochester, NY
Dec. 6 TUE – Waterhole Music Lounge Saranac Lake, NY
Dec. 7 WED – The Saint Asbury Park, NJ
Dec 8 THU – The Broadberry Richmond, VA
Dec. 9 FRI – The 8×10 Baltimore, MD
Dec. 10 SAT – Martin’s Downtown Roanoke, VA
Dec. 17 SAT – Southbound Brewing Company Savannah, GA
Dec. 29 THU – Terra Fermata Stuart, FL
Dec. 30 FRI – Hometown New Year’s Rally Lakeland, FL
Dec. 31 SAT – Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
To Submit a review or story for consideration hit us at [email protected]
Check out the Live Music News and Review.com Facebook page for updates and announcements.