29 April 2019 - 0 Comments

Manzo (the alias of songwriter and producer Alan Hodgetts) will soon be releasing his third studio album Attachment. It’s been a relentless, year-long project, culminating in an 11 track album, with a 4 track companion EP Beatniks on Toast. Building on the success of the previous album Outsider, which reached a top 2 spot in the indie charts, and 8 in the NZ album charts, this new release takes Manzo’s musical journey to the next level.

This is Manzo’s most complete piece yet. More mature, polished song and score-writing, with rich, punchy and spacious mixes. This collection takes the listener on a 47 minute adventure, each track flowing effortlessly into the next.Manzo’s influences are diverse and he flouts genre rules to bring a fusion of 60's, 80's, electro, pop, rock, blues, reggae and ballad on a smorgasbord of soundscapes. Manzo gets out from behind his DAW and takes on more live performances on this album, playing drums and synths throughout.

Social commentary is a key element of Manzo’s art. The album confronts themes of techno-dependence, the artificial replacing the real and the dehumanising of society. Even the music streaming industry comes in for a slap.This is juxtaposed against real human attachments, love, warmth, hope and optimism.

‘Ultimately, I want the listener to come to the end of the album feeling good about life’.

The EP is a delightful companion piece, with a lighter, raw, live feel, which will leave you with a smile on your face.

The Manzo family continues to grow – with introductions of fabulous new talent, including vocalists Harrison Nicol and Andrea Coulston, violinist Richard Taylor and harmonies from Sally Jarvis.Previous collaborators return to the fold, with Laurence Cooper and his sublime Stratocaster, Allan Taotua and Anny da Silva Freitas returning on vocals, and Dave Hone on guitar and electric cello.

‘I am especially proud of the consistency of the vocal performances we recorded. There is no comping. The listener will be hearing straight end-to-end takes’.

Manzo continues to surprise.His unique style of experimenting with instrument choices, melodies and vocal styles culminates in a truly satisfying listening experience.

Release dates coming soon.More information: Manzo's website Facebook: Manzo on Facebook

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