Zoahr Mosaic CD Review

Zoahr, not be confused with the plethora of artists with the moniker Zohar, including a DJ, a four-piece from Great Britain that blends Middle Eastern sounds with modern instrumentation and a female artist from Israel, Zoahr hails from Permasens, Germany, is a three-piece formed in 2017 by high school friends, and plays a wholly other form of bluesy, fuzzy desert rock. My kind of music. The band’s latest release, Mosaic, dropped in mid-January from the D.I.Y. label and really blew me away.

The opening track “Endurance Race” unfurls with a playful, jazzy bottom end courtesy of bassist Thorston Winkler and drummer Philipp Dahler. The band blends several genres into its music, including ‘70s blues and ‘90s grunge, then weaves in lots of delay, reverb, and some downright catchy riffs, creating its own form of lysergic, psychedelic stoner rock.

The bouncy, almost dancey, “Prisma” may be my favorite tune on the record. Near the song’s mid-point, a driving drum sound permeates the recording, and carries it to a satisfying, rambunctious denouement, courtesy of some nifty guitar work.

“Cornered” slows things down from a boil to a simmer, and Philipp delivers a stomping drum performance as guitarist/vocalist Jessie Schmidt winds down the proceedings with the refrain, “their ain’t no coming back” ad nauseam.

Nice harmonies in “Idols & Status,” and elsewhere on the record. The bass lines throughout the recording are melodic and up-tempo fun. Schmidt’s vocal is stylish and charismatic and reminds me a bit of Swedish foursome Tunga Muln’s lead singer.

The album’s closer, “Wayward Blues,” is just that, a meandering, miasma of killer blues riffs in an extended jam.

Lyrically, Zoahr communicates about a number of vital subjects, including addiction, depression, current affairs and the general state of the world. The album was miced up and recorded live for a big, live sound.

Mosaic is an ebullient, buoyant release, the band’s full-length follow up to 2022’s Apraxia, and fourth release since 2018’s demo, which was recorded live and “barely edited”. The new release is far more polished and represents an evolution of the group’s desert sound. I must admit, prior to this album showing up in my inbox, I had never heard of Zoahr, formed in the last quarter of 2017, but I’ve really enjoyed familiarizing myself with their catalogue. Outstanding stuff.

Standout tracks: “Endurance Race,” “Prisma,” “Cornered,” “Erosive,” and “Wayward Blues.”

~Mike