Album Review of
Start Where You Stand

Written by Robert Silverstein
July 3, 2022 - 4:11pm EDT
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2022 marks the return of Brooklyn’s best band, NYC rockers Zan Zone. Featuring the songs of band founder Zan Burnham, Start Where You Stand is the long-awaited result of 38 months of blood, sweat & tears that found the band enlisting the aid of a new co-lead female singer Angela Watson Modeste. Angela joins forces with long-time Zan Zone vocalists Zan Burnham, Philip Dessinger and Zan’s daughter Arianna Burnham. Angela’s voice rounds out the trademark, 4-part vocal harmony that is featured on a number of Start Where You Stand songs, including the title track composed by band member Philip Dessinger.

Key to the Zan Zone sound is Zan’s dazzling songwriting and his sizzling electric guitar skills. Dedicated to Zan’s wife Marilyn Lisa Feldman, who died in 2021, Start Where You Stand is the best-produced and best-sounding Zan Zone album yet. In contrast  to the catchy, pop-rock anthems that are featured on the album in abundance, the Zan Zone approach to instrumental music is also put to the test on Start Where You Stand with “Extinction: Rebellion” and “Extinction: Romp”, proving that Zan Zone is not only rock and progressive music but rock instrumental too.

Driving Zan Zone’s powerhouse beat are Saadi Zain (electric / acoustic bass) and Marko Djordjevic (drums / percussion). In contrast to 2013’s It’s Only Natural, the cover art and album concept of Start Where You Stand is unsettled, perhaps alluding to the current global refugee crisis in the aftermath of the pandemic era. One thing is clear: long-time Zan Zone devotees and newcomers will come away with big smiles on their faces after witnessing the pop-rock magic in play on Start Where You Stand.