EP Review

Voxtrot
Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, & Wives
B+

Hipsters, it's OK to dance to this, I promise. I know you would prefer to simply nod along, but don't these pitch-perfect pop jams deserve more? Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, & Wives (I love that title) find Voxtrot doing essentially more of the same, with a bit more gumption.
Everything from the guitar strumming to the lyrics carry an extra air of confidence from the previous EP. Confident, but not cocky; the affable and modest aura surrounding the band helps to amplify the impact of the common human experiences explored on this album.
Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, & Wives narratives center around: escapism, getting older, and coping with a sometimes cruel and uncertain world, and of course, trouble and infatuation with women.
For some reason, I think these guys would be really cool and down to earth people one could easily converse with and share a beer. Who knows, maybe not?
Like Raised by Wolves, this infinitely catchy album gets me bouncing about and nodding my head to and fro like a ping pong ball. But the danceable nature is just a testament to the genius of the songwriting. Unlike The Rapture or The Faint, Voxtrot's M.O. isn't to forcefully command you to dance, just an impulsive reaction to the great tunes. This is anything but dance punk.
On "Rise Up In the Dirt" the keys are incessantly punished in such a way that would surely make Jerry Lee Lewis smile. "Soft and Warm" slowly builds up from a humble and simple skipping-down-the-street sound to a foot stomping, arena filling climax. They could have gone bigger, but much of their charm lies in the band's tasteful restraint. Voxtrot achieves the tricky task of sticking to what works and unabashedly baring their retro influences, without sounding boring or run-of-the-mill.
Abandoning wild experimentation in favor of irresistible melodies and time-tested arrangements, Voxtrot has created another instantly enjoyable and memorable EP. No pretentious arching themes or artsy cacophonic meanderings or profound exisistential statements; just quality, old-is-new-again Rock. If you start with one Voxtrot release, make it this one.
They have a three (wtf?) song EP entitled, Your Biggest Fan, coming out on November 2nd. Give me more Voxtrot, your crumbs can only satisfy for so long.

Listen to:
"Soft and Warm"

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