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While many bands entering the commercial music scene tend to hit a high note with a spectacular single or unique album theme, others fall in ranks by lacking certain uniqueness in each song.
For these types of bands, songs come together miraculously quick as if the band were just asking to be a “one-hit-wonder.”
Such is the case with the new release The Wait by Rhode Island band Zox.
The Wait is the second release by the independent record band, but barely manages to slide into popularity among today’s picky crowds.
It is riddled with songs full of tone, but tone that merely sounds like every other band in today’s music scene.
On a positive note, though, the band does have the ability to blend different types of music into their work.
Unfortunately, though, many fans will find that the band overuses this ability by creating songs that merely seem like different-paced versions of each other. In fact, many fans at the recent Zox show expressed their displeasure with the band’s monotone sound.
Whether this is a true reflection of the band’s studio talent is yet to be known, but the latest release isn’t indicating otherwise.
The album opens with a short introduction of sorts which provides little aid to the album. The second track, “Thirsty,” starts with a quick ska rhythm and follows into a funky dance tune.
Listeners will even find the inclusion of a violin. Although the song has a traditional structure, it really lacks substance for a true single. The song gets applause for creativity, but none for competitive drive.
In the third track, “Carolyn,” the band introduces a simple rock beat similar to that of bands such as Alkaline Trio and Yellowcard. However, Zox listeners will probably find that the band fails to pick up a uniqueness of its own. The key feature of Yellowcard is the band’s violin.
Although it would be irrational to state that no other band could use the violin as a main instrument, it’s hard to see a band like Zox attempting to make it such a similiar key to success.
Rather than finding that exclusive edge over bands like Alkaline Trio and Yellowcard, Zox merely blends and imitates.
The chorus “I don’t ever want to be lonely” may be inspiring, but clearly copies the overused “boy meets girl and becomes lonely” theme.
“Little More Time” follows a similar path as the general beat to the song is mix of Sublime and 311.
Although these are great bands, they are not to be copied. Zox fails to achieve full stability in such a competitive business.
While many will argue that the music market is only about creativity and intellectual insight, Zox demonstrates that there may be another motive. The band that starts as a ska-reggae jam band begins to resemble a chaotic orchestra of sorts.
For example, the fifth track on The Wait, “Anything but Fine” is a love song built on the violin player and singer’s talents.
Although both are great musicians, the song made me wonder why any band would go to such great lengths to include such a drastically different array of songs on a single album. Even in a remote sense, most modern bands have a general theme to each release.
Zox just does not follow this maxim. “Spades” and “I Am Only Waiting,” in addition, have great guitar, drum, and bass riffs, but each doesn’t necessarily align with one another to create a truly perfect song.
Each track seems to be missing something as if the band rushed to create the album. One would think that a band with previous experience in the industry would have picked up on some of the initial problems that bands face in their early years.
Zox doesn’t take the initiative. In spite of attempts to make the band more of a household name, it is hard to give The Wait much applause.
Listeners may initially find the Zox’s latest release “The Wait” to be a catchy album, but may soon realize what the disappointed listeners at Zox’s recent Colorado visit did: the band simply does not have the uniqueness at this time to release an outstanding set.
