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BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About LOTD
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The Waxwings: Shadows of The Waxwings
How is it possible that I didnt know about the Waxwings
before their sophomore release accidentally arrived in Left Off The Dials
mailbox? If I were to create a band
whose sound would reflect my musical tastes exactly, the final product might
closely resemble the Waxwings. If
youre like me and harbor equal love for both Brit-influenced jangle pop and
fuzzy, lo-fi indie rock (and maybe even have a few Stones albums in the back of
your collection), then you absolutely need to know about the Waxwings.
In fact, once you get to know them, you will find yourself physically
unable to remove Shadows of the Waxwings from your CD player.
You will also find yourself hopelessly powerless against preventing
unbelievably infectious songs like Clouded Over from lingering in your
head for days. The Waxwings 2000 debut Low to the Ground garnered
much praise and was even compared to works of Brian Wilson for its beautiful
vocal harmonies and rich melodies. Shadows
of The Waxwings continues in the quest for the perfect pop song with
production that captures the bands various influences and melds them into
something that is beautifully their own. From
the classic rock tinged opening notes of Blur to Me and Fractured to
the harmonic Brilliant Gray, where the jangly Byrds influence rings loud,
its clear that the Waxwings are not afraid to dig into the past beyond punk
the way a lot of other modern rockers seem to be.
This results in a sound that resembles but does not imitate modern
rockers who took the same approach notably power-pop master Matthew Sweet
and those grungy harmonizers Teenage Fanclub.
On the album closer, Whats Needed Now, the Waxwings take a turn
for droning psychedelia without losing their pop sensibilities. The
Waxwings' Dean Fertita actually fronted the Detroit shoegaze band Glider. He
must have decided that pop was more fun, but the drone has not left his system
completely. If indie rockers can get over their fear of anything
resembling pop, and pop lovers can appreciate a bit of psychedelic fuzz, then Shadows
of The Waxwings could be an album enjoyed by many.
Fans of both types of music will find a band full of guys who sing really
well and have a knack for creating great songs.
Detroit may be filled to the brim with lo-fi garage rock right now, but
theres certainly room for the genres lo-fi pop cousins. There should be
room in your CD collection too.
Releases from The Waxwings are available at Amazon, Insound, and CD Universe. LEFT OFF THE DIAL's Waxwings page About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
