Jesus and the Zealots summon Beautiful Bleakness on New Single ‘Baby in the Cupboard’

London baroque-goth outfit Jesus and the Zealots are back with the deliciously haunting ‘Baby in the Cupboard’ - a self-proclaimed product of several years of live performances. 

A fan favourite when performed live - the track is a complex, twisted ride of distorted guitars and heavy synth. 

One cannot help but feel taken in by the opening riff, an echoing, gothic call to arms reminiscent of the hypnotising pull of Siouxie and the Banshee’s iconic ‘Spellbound’. The whispering,  vocals of frontman Henri haunt the minimalist instrumental - a menacing sneer with a bubbling undercurrent of an overbearing, shaking fear. The expansive space of the sound contrasting the claustrophobic lyrics  - “I’ve been putting baby in the cupboard / He gets what he deserves, he kept me up all night.” The space of the song is a dark, damp, abandoned building - the song a slow, maddening drip drip drip on cold, wet stone. 

The hollowness of the track gives way at the halfway point to a cacophonous riot. Flute player Aynjel’s melodies dance through the harsh noise created by Matty’s distorted synth and the heavy psychedelia of JJ’s guitar; the instruments clash and collide in an atmospheric daze. As the monster of the breakdown is defeated, slinking back into the darkness, the track winds down, reducing itself back to its bones. 

The dual vocals of Henri and Aynjel guide you through the misty sonic plane to the end of the song, twirling and twisting around each other amongst the sparse soundscape - a perfectly bleak ending. The song is mystifying, a disturbing yet utterly irresistible pull towards the dark chasm of its sound.

The band first wrote the song two years ago, and have been perfecting it over that time, experimenting with it in a live setting and creating the perfect beast. Baby in the Cupboard captures the band’s vast list of influences, from the 80’s gothic rock of bands like The Birthday Party and The Sisters of Mercy to the psychedelia of 60’s legends like The Doors. The band are a product of their influences, a Frankenstein’s Monster of music’s visceral past, musicians with an inimitable sombre eccentricity built from decades of those who scared audiences before them.

Jesus and the Zealots can be caught haunting venues across London; and if you are so lucky to catch them, you will be utterly spellbound. 

Eylem Boz

@itwslv

Image: @adrianzeqjaa

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