The Sizzos strike gold on complex debut record, "She's Driving Down"
Having just put out a debut album titled She’s Driving Down, we couldn’t help but instantly be pulled into the world of The Sizzos in the best way possible. Please read on as we share our complete thoughts on the record, as well as a background on the project.
If you’re unaware, The Sizzos is a project by songwriter George Zaninovich which features guest musicians, collaborators, and friends. Considering George has written songs and performed with bands all throughout San Francisco and Portland for the past 20 years, it must have been incredibly satisfying to put out an original of his own. We are loving it!
As for “The Sizzos” the band name, it’s actually got a great little story behind it! George’s son coined the word “Sizzos” when he first started talking as a stand in for the phrase “I don’t know”. It obviously stuck and we love that it has an even greater and deeper meaning to the artist himself.
Moving to the music itself, George must have some pretty talented friends because every single part of this record was noteworthy. Picking out an individual song as a favorite would be a near impossible task, so our main recommendation here would be to click play at the beginning and let the entirety of the record flow through you. At 9 total tracks, spanning just around 40 minutes, it’s the perfect bite size record that is sure to keep you enthralled from start to finish.
The context on the record is something that wasn’t just spurred on by protests for racial equity over the last year, it’s something that’s been a lifelong endeavour for those fighting for the right cause. According to George, “These songs are stories about navigating the differences between perception and reality, whether in ourselves, our connections, or in the world around us. These songs are stories about overcoming fear, shame, and insecurity in search of deep love, joy, and relationships that we can depend on.”
Instrumentally on the record, it’s an absolute homerun, but lyrically from a songwriter’s perspective, that’s where it really shines the most. You could almost split up this record into two different listens as it’s dense enough to give it a go around just grooving out and a second one that extrapolates the lyrical content. Either way, the replayability factor on She’s Driving Down is quite high, we’ll definitely be giving it some extra spins.
Speaking of spins, the album is actually available as a limited edition, 180-gram, hand numbered vinyl as well. So for all the record collectors, you better snatch this one up before it’s gone, we bet it sounds really nice! We’ve included all the important links below in order for you to listen, follow along, and check out the merchandise.
With all that being said, George really did put together a memorable record here, and with the help of some talented musicians, has struck gold on a meaningful album. We really can’t wait for the follow up, but in the meantime, we’ll be following along with his next musical moves. Enjoy!
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