Gregory Robson
06/26/08, 05:45 AM
Fox Chase Drive - Hands in the Sky EP
Record Label: None
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Fox Chase Drive is a quartet from Mississippi that formed in 2005. Their previous EP was produced by Nick Baumhart from The Class of 98 and received positive marks, though some reviewers seemed to think they were striving to emulate Motion City Soundtrack a bit too much. While that isn’t exactly a bad thing, it is a bit unoriginal.
Hands in the Sky is their three-song sophomore EP and it bristles with the production, professionalism and sincerity that is certain to land them a spot on Fuse in the ensuing months. Certainly one can fault the band for producing music that is neither thought provoking or wholly original, but for every flaw, one needs only to listen to the chorus of "Palindromic" or "Rainy Day Parades" to understand this band's charm. Vocalist Josh (no last name provided) has a way of singing lines like, "If you're gonna lie / Lie next to me / It's better than lying through your teeth," and not sounding hokey. Better yet, on the mid-tempo, ballad-like sentiment of "Steady Now," he sings, "I'll be your sunshine," and never once does it sound trite, saccharine or pathetic. In fact, it makes me envious of the girl (or guy) the song was written for. Aside from the step up in production, it’s also worth mentioning that the band’s vocalist sang background vocals on the prior EP and steps up to the microphone for this effort, a fortuitous change that seemed to work wonders.
Though the band claims to boast "distorted guitars, pure pop vocals and a healthy dose of electronics," only one of the three is truly felt. Yes, there are distorted guitars and yes, there are splashes of electronics, but not nearly enough to characterize it as part of their sound. The vocals though are definitely felt and that is the band’s strongest asset. Yes, there's nothing earth shattering about this release at all, but there is tons of confidence, lots of swagger and enough sonic credibility to allow this band to rise above the others. Hands in the Sky is a huge step forward and a promising new effort for a band that is definitely one to watch out for in the coming months.
Valencia, Between the Trees, latter-day The Staring Line
myspace.com/foxchasedrive (http://www.myspace.com/foxchasedrive)
Record Label: None
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Fox Chase Drive is a quartet from Mississippi that formed in 2005. Their previous EP was produced by Nick Baumhart from The Class of 98 and received positive marks, though some reviewers seemed to think they were striving to emulate Motion City Soundtrack a bit too much. While that isn’t exactly a bad thing, it is a bit unoriginal.
Hands in the Sky is their three-song sophomore EP and it bristles with the production, professionalism and sincerity that is certain to land them a spot on Fuse in the ensuing months. Certainly one can fault the band for producing music that is neither thought provoking or wholly original, but for every flaw, one needs only to listen to the chorus of "Palindromic" or "Rainy Day Parades" to understand this band's charm. Vocalist Josh (no last name provided) has a way of singing lines like, "If you're gonna lie / Lie next to me / It's better than lying through your teeth," and not sounding hokey. Better yet, on the mid-tempo, ballad-like sentiment of "Steady Now," he sings, "I'll be your sunshine," and never once does it sound trite, saccharine or pathetic. In fact, it makes me envious of the girl (or guy) the song was written for. Aside from the step up in production, it’s also worth mentioning that the band’s vocalist sang background vocals on the prior EP and steps up to the microphone for this effort, a fortuitous change that seemed to work wonders.
Though the band claims to boast "distorted guitars, pure pop vocals and a healthy dose of electronics," only one of the three is truly felt. Yes, there are distorted guitars and yes, there are splashes of electronics, but not nearly enough to characterize it as part of their sound. The vocals though are definitely felt and that is the band’s strongest asset. Yes, there's nothing earth shattering about this release at all, but there is tons of confidence, lots of swagger and enough sonic credibility to allow this band to rise above the others. Hands in the Sky is a huge step forward and a promising new effort for a band that is definitely one to watch out for in the coming months.
Valencia, Between the Trees, latter-day The Staring Line
myspace.com/foxchasedrive (http://www.myspace.com/foxchasedrive)