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"Mike gave a catchy and colorful performance that delighted our live and TV
audiences."John Irving, Cafe Improv, 5/27/06 (Princeton cable show)"Michael Zuko is one of the top songwriters in New Jersey.".Dan Drake, NJ club owner/promoter/singer-songwriter, 11/22/06."Michael has an uncanny knack of being able to express his thoughts easily, writing intelligent, thought provoking lyrics that you know come from his heart and soul.".Gaynor Andrews, writer, United Kingdom, 12/2007
Raised on a diet of The Beatles, Buddy Holly and The Doors, as a teenager Michael Zuko was lucky enough to be exposed first hand to the thrilling music of the legendary 70s NYC club scene. After seeing The Ramones for the first time and realizing that he – or anyone - could start a band, Zuko went home and taught himself to play bass. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Zuko's later influences included The Pretenders, the Plimsouls, Peter Case and Paul Westerberg. Fast forward a couple of decades and Zuko's solo release "Miles from a Kiss" show a skilled singer-songwriter who often gets compared to greats like Cat Stevens, Gene Pitney, Neil Diamond, and – a nod to his earlier influences – "a male Chrissie Hynde."
Lyrically, Zuko's album tackles the heartbreak of lost and abandoned love with original, melodic, folky guitar pop songs that stick in your head and your heart. Subject matter tackles nostalgia, finding one's strength, "being a man", connecting with emotions, the yearning to "do the right thing thing", and, ultimately, healing.
Standout tracks include the catchy opening pop song "Crooked Smile" and the beautiful, dreamy "Walk With Me Angie", complete with 50s ¾ waltz nostalgia. The Replacements-sounding "On The El" is sure to appeal to Zuko's alt./indie rock fans and the Latin-flavored number "Don't Try" shows Zuko's range as a songwriter and musician. Adding even more variety, Zuko's NYC punk -pop education is evident on "Furious."
Coming full circle, as things tend to do, the album finale "Ground' is a Beatles-esque pop-rock song that sonically pays homage to Zuko's earliest influences. Like the travel-referencing album title suggests, "Miles from a Kiss" proves that all roads sometimes lead back home.
