After his low-profile solo career and before bringing back Echo and the Bunnymen in 1997, Ian McCulloch had a brief stint with Electrafixion, which provided him a chance to twist the lushness of his former band in favor of a haunting and rough-edged demeanor. Zephyr, the short-lived Electrafixion's first single, introduced an entirely new side to the swooning McCulloch -- there's more of an edge and the snarling vocals are a bit harsh for the typical Bunnymen fan. Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant was also a culprit in creating this new image; his charming clocked riffs are thoroughly abandoned on Zephyr in favor of grunting guitar plucks and grunge-filled annoyance. B-sides Burned and Rain on Me draw from early British punk, and both of these tunes are playful in the sense that no matter how much McCulloch tries for a bad attitude, his new approach is unlikely to go over well with Bunnymen followers more attuned to the crooning aesthetics of his earlier career. Electrafixion was fresh, but most Bunnymen onlookers proved to be a little uncertain. Still, true fans would likely enjoy Zephyr as representing a bit of a musical snag in the McCulloch and Bunnymen saga. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi