With an increase in tempo and a change of musical scenery from their first EP, the new drop from Seattle dance-punk band Zookraught drives, shoves, and slices its way forward. Listening to the songs on Grip It, Shake It is like having a shot of espresso. If 2022’s Like a Rotten Zucchini and Grip It, Shake It were boxers in the ring (like the “Canvas Eyes” music video) Grip it, Shake It is the clear winner, lighter on its feet.

Zookraught band members Stephanie Jones (bass and vocals), Baylee Harper (drums and vocals), and Sam Frederick (guitar and vocals) kept the ambient noise, bubbly synths, and nasty breakdowns from their first EP, but they lost the saxophone. If you saw Zookraught live at the beginning of their tenure, you would have seen a punk band plus a saxophone acting like a second guitar, which added a delicious horn texture to their sound. Trust me, I mourned – but the move to a trio serves this new body of work, allowing Jones’ distorted bass riffs (check out “Catwalk”) and Frederick’s fast, intricate guitar stylings (my favorite is on “Your God”) to stand on their own. The guitar and bass lines are danceable and crunchy, the tempos are faster, the drums are more disco-inspired, and as always, the breakdowns are heavy as hell.

Zookraught showgoers have been yelling the lyrics from Grip It, Shake It for months, but it’s not too late to join the party. On the first EP, Jones’s voice both floated above the noise and got deep into it with guttural screams (for a similar vibe on the new EP, listen to “No Corner” or “Your God”). On Grip It, Shake it, we’re anchored to the current moment by the ever-relatable urge to scream “Suck my dick, Hey!” along with the band. For even more fun, come to the show in Zookraught makeup – each band member has their signature look.

Catch Zookraught in Seattle at the Tractor Tavern on August 11th or on any of the stops on the release tour.