In the quiet corridors of Kensington Sound Studios, amidst analogue consoles and the faint smell of coffee and cables, Zweng was rebuilding something more than just music—he was rebuilding himself. Toronto Tapes, his first full-length album since stepping away from years of personal turbulence, is a cathartic fusion of indie, pop, and rock, filtered through a lens of hard-won sobriety and spiritual awakening. It’s not polished, and that’s precisely what makes it powerful.

Zweng’s story isn’t one of overnight fame or viral success. It’s one of lived-in wisdom—the kind you earn through mistakes, heartbreak, and the heavy lifting of healing. Having once been part of the psychedelic garage band Coo Coo Birds and composed for ABC Television, he had tasted the industry’s highs and its hidden tolls. It wasn’t until he left the noise behind and landed in Toronto, stripped of distractions, that the real work began. Toronto Tapes is a work set to melody.

What sets the album apart is how Zweng treats every track like a truth-telling ritual. His reimagining of ‘Back on the Chain Gang’ mourns the past without trying to rewrite it, while ‘Take On Me’ becomes a stripped-down plea for connection in a disconnected world. Originals like ‘Jeanette’ and ‘Marianne’ are not just songs, but soul offerings—dedications to the silent heroes in his family history who shaped him without ever saying a word.

Rather than relying on production tricks or lyrical ambiguity, Zweng leans into rawness. His voice is both weary and unwavering, his guitar work purposeful but unpretentious. Producer Will Schollar helps keep the emotional resonance intact, resisting the urge to polish away the pain. And that’s the secret to Toronto Tapes—its imperfections are its power.

Zweng doesn’t offer this album as an answer, but as an artefact of the journey. It’s the sound of a man figuring it out, one chord and confession at a time. In a musical landscape often obsessed with image, Toronto Tapes is a reminder that the real magic happens when the mask comes off—and the mic is still on

https://open.spotify.com/album/38fYzCT0iZPBvRywdfMvxo?si=ITbTXMqvTU-M40nrO4S4Cg

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http://zwengmusic.com

REVIEW BY Danielle Holian

THE SONGBIRD HQ