Welsh pop punkers ZacTheLocust have been part of the UK alternative underground since 2019. Although originally conceived as a solo vehicle for guitarist Keryn Isaac, it wasn’t too long before the project had grown into a fully formed, four piece pop punk/emo outfit.
By 2023 the band had perfected a solid sound that championed a rocky streak that seemed just a little more melodic than a “typical” pop punk style, shown clearly when early endeavours ‘Razor Blades & Roses’ and ‘Hold On’ centred around a ringing guitar tone and mid-tempo grooves that really helped to bring out an emo-tinged vocal. More than just a blink-182 rehash, the latter, especially, worked its more mid-tempo moments effortlessly, eventually culminating in a chunky breakdown that showed the whole band as being capable of delivering a classic, crunchy riff that took the guts of Sum 41 and pushed it towards melodic hardcore.
The current single, ‘Lazy Days’ – originally released a year ago, but being re-promoted in July 2024 – offers an even slower groove, but doesn’t ever skimp on those great tones that made the instrumental moments of ‘Hold On’ so powerful. From the outset, those already familiar guitar tones collide with a crashy sounding drum part, and the band set about catching everyone’s ear with a round of dominant “whoahs” that show a love for 90s-00s pop punk with a really easy melody, Into the verse, a filtered voice soars against a hard rhythm, and more “whoahs” creep through the cracks, lending more of an easy, wordless hook. It’s the chorus that makes everything work, though, with Keryn’s voice hitting full cry as he celebrates the “lazy days” for “kings and queens of our time”, against a broader emo-inflected guitar riff. Moving through a slightly harder middle eight, its possible to hear a similar formula being worked to previous tracks, but this doesn’t ever hamper the track – if anything, it’s great that the band clearly recognises what works for them at such an early stage, and they’ll definitely improve on that from here. Eventually arriving back at the main hook and the already familiar “whoahs”, this becomes a masterclass in flab-free arrangements,
Although they’ve previously been compared to blink-182 and The Offspiring, ‘Lazy Days’ hints at those only nominally, and captures ZacTheLocust in a less punky, more melodic frame of mind. In some ways, the tempo here pushes them further into the realms of retro alt-rock, but at the same time, there’s still plenty for fans of those other singles to enjoy. With a full album promised before the end of the year, 2024 will see these lads from Bridgend moving onwards and upwards.
Check out the original video and its newer lyric clip below.