Zookeeper (Chris Simpson)

Zookeeper posted four new tracks on Myspace today from an upcoming record (which I knew nothing about until today). The songs are outstanding. From a production sense, they are light years ahead of the the first Zookeeper LP and EP.

If you don't already know, Zookeeper is a folk/country project from former Mineral and Gloria Record frontman Chris Simpson. He has always been one of my favorite lyricists. I have mixed feelings about his solo work though, it has always sounded unfinished in a way. Good songs, but I don't really enjoy the way most of them are recorded.

However, these tracks are more refined, especially the first, "Mama Jean", which musically is the best Simpson song I have heard since the Gloria Record days. (Although it and the other songs sound NOTHING like the Gloria Record.) Anyway, check the songs out here.