REVIEW: Coax, Fear Of Standing Still (Paradigm)
- Bill Holmes
I always thought the phrase was "four out of five dentists". Nevertheless, three out of four Dentists, the Brit pop band, are re-teamed in Coax to surf the third or fourth wave across the Big Pond and conquer America. While I admit that any of these songs would be reason enough to stop the "seek" button on my car radio, there's nothing here that I couldn't do without if I had to. The playing is good, the vocals decent, the songs okay - but the sum isn't greater than its parts, and it has to be to rise to the top of the ever crowded pile of pop bands.
Those who fondly remember The Dentists will be happy to know that the jangly pop sound is still there, as are the tongue in cheek moments (song titles like "Harrison Fjord" and "Meatball Heroes" should give you a clue). There's nice guitar interplay throughout, especially on "Plates". Matter of fact, the guitar is mixed waaaay out front most of the time, especially on "Colours From The Sideshow" and "Orchestra". There's also some Bowie cops, a little Icicle Works (the opening of "Meatball" recalls "Understanding Jane") and the "Something In The Air" references in "Fjord" to hang your hat on.
Dentist fans will be pleased, and I'm sure most pop fans will find something they like here. But there are too many other bands mining the same vein in a more exciting and/or consistent manner to see Coax as anything special.
