I’m finding 2025 to be an excellent year for debut albums — so many of my most-played records so far have been debuts, and this brilliant offering from London-based post-punk band The Dead Zoo is no exception.
Having already enjoyed their formidable live performances — all sass, and surging energy — I was excited to finally hear their unique sound captured on record. Happily, Suspects doesn’t disappoint. It’s an album that feels retro yet fresh: a genre-bending mash of post-punk, dream pop, indie, goth, and electro that somehow fuses into something vibrant and entirely their own. Think summer dance party meets underground queer goth club: sexy, nostalgic, sassy, and defiant.
Frontwoman Kaoru Sato (previously of Weird Sex, Electric Shocks, and Six Inch Killaz) describes the album as reflecting “the conditions faced by those imperilled by the looming climate catastrophe, war, and more generally by the violence that power does to the powerless (and I very much include trans people like myself in that definition).” That rage and empathy bleed through the entire record, but it never feels heavy-handed — it’s protest music you can dance to, filled with hooks as well as heart.
- Hoover Damned – A track that radiates pure nostalgic summer vibes, with shades of 90s Britpop (Ash immediately came to mind). Kaoru has said: “I wanted to write about a world where women are as free to make mistakes and walk away as men traditionally have.” It’s indie-pop joy with an undercurrent of liberation.
- In the End – Possibly the most uplifting song on the record, reminding us of something we all need to hear: “Everything’s gonna be alright in the end.” There’s even a saxophone solo that gives it a playful warmth, contrasting with the darker tones elsewhere on the album.
- I Am the Lynx – A personal favourite. Dark, dirty, fierce goth-punk sass. Its refrain — “Don’t get the wrong side of me because I am the lynx… I am the last face you’ll see” — feels like an empowerment anthem, prowling and seductive.
- All Things – A protest-party banger with one of the most infectious choruses on the album. Lines like “No more inspirational imagery, no more consumer ideology… No more fossil fuel dependency, no more silverback misogyny” are as fun to shout as they are cathartic.
- Bruise – An 80s synth-soaked single with a sexy bassline and even a burst of rapping. Its lyrical theme of transformation — “I close my eyes, seek out the ocean and the night, I cannot fight the inevitable light” — captures both pain and triumph beautifully.
- The Grey Man and the Shadow of the Gun – A rockier track with stark questions: “Hey you, is there an end in sight? An end to the endless fight? An end to the darkest night?”
Elsewhere, tracks like Television Wears the Crown slow things down with brooding intensity, while Warm Cube and Cobalt lean into their goth-punk side. Throughout, the band (completed by Somrata Sarkar on co-vocals/synth, Jon Baker-Bates on drums, and Seb Grey on bass/saxophone) effortlessly blend sharp rhythms, layered synths, and unrelenting attitude.
Suspects is a retro-futuristic, genre-smashing joyride — political and personal, angry yet playful, goth yet summery. It’s one of those rare debut albums that feels like a statement: fully-formed, unapologetic, and brimming with energy. The Dead Zoo have bottled the chaotic magic of their live shows and turned it into something you can blast in your headphones and lose yourself to.
Catch them live if you can — upcoming shows include 26th July at Walthamstow Trades Hall (Trans Pride After Party) and 31st July at Camden Assembly (supporting Black Doldrums) — and prepare to dance, shout, and maybe even snarl along.
‘Suspects’ is out now and you can get it here
The Dead Zoo Socials-Facebook/Instagram
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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