Zoo premieres off-kilter new song "Bobby" -- listen

August 7, 2015 | 12:00pm ET

Zoo, the moniker of Cincinnati musician Cory Pavlinac, is often described as a “bedroom project.” Technically, the classification rings true: Pavlinac began recording songs in his apartment in 2012 using a “borrowed Boss 16 track digital recorder, reel-to-reel machine, guitars and a drum machine,” and dropped his first release as a cassette tape and digital download without the backing of any or distribution entity.

Some three years later, however, the Ohio native’s arrangements have grown more complex and his aesthetic has shifted a bit, leading him to book time in an official recording studio last December. The transition — no doubt a tough one for any up-and-coming artist — turned out to be a good decision for Pavlinac, who cites Bob Dylan, R.E.M. and all eras of psychedelic rock as influences. Although his latest compositions exude an off-kilter charm — much like the material on his cassette — they have a newfound robustness and focus to them, the stamp of a maturer, more confident songwriter if you will.

As an example of Zoo’s evolution, take a listen to “Bobby”. Encompassing sounds of dream pop, lo-fi, and art rock, the new track plays out like a marrying of St. Vincent and Youth Lagoon — quirky, experimental, and full of various elements and noises that in theory shouldn’t make sense when paired up, yet somehow actually do. Listen in below.