Zox's album "The Wait" sounds like it should be the soundtrack for MTV's reality show "Laguna Beach." The mix of upbeat surfing songs, dark breakup songs and lustful ballads would accompany the show perfectly.
This is not to disregard the band's obvious musical talent - it's just that this album is the ideal pop-punk album. "Wait" has the emo lyrics, excessively high vocal harmonies, and melodic arrangements that make it a suitable soundtrack to breakups and cat fights.
Zox, formed in Providence, R.I., is made up of Eli Miller (vocals, guitar), Spencer Swain (electric violin), Dan Edinberg (bass) and John Ox (drums). Their first album, "Take Me Home," was released in 2002, garnering some critical success.
Much emphasis has been put on both albums because of the use of the electric violin, an instrument not usually found in punk bands except for Yellowcard. The violin adds dramatic scales and soaring melodies to each song on "The Wait." Swain also does a lot of finger picking to create a divergent sound. This effect makes the track "I Am Only Waiting" stand out.
"Little More Time" is one of the best songs on the album. It sounds reminiscent of The Specials with its meandering guitars and catchy back-up vocals. The song itself is very simple, but that's also what makes it enjoyable. There is nothing special about the lyrics but it would be a fun song to belt out in the car.
"Can't Look Down" is another great song with a full band acoustic number that concentrates mainly on the guitar and violin with a loud choral background. However, it doesn't flow with the rest of the album, nor does it sound like the same band even created it.
What they lack in substance and depth they make up for with original arrangements and catchy melodies. They're better than most of the punk bands that have been showing up on MTV, but not by much.
