No.64 - ‘The Wait’ by Zox (2006)

“Sometimes I'm sure that I am crazy; It's taking its toll, it's making me old; With half the winter still to go; Maybe I'm afraid of love, maybe I'm afraid of pain; And maybe I'm afraid too much, maybe I'm afraid that I won't ever change…”

It was August of 2006, and our first and only Reading Festival. Wanting to see the likes of Muse, Less Than Jake, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Bedouin Soundclash and others around the Lockup Stage, we left the festival having discovered a new band, and one of our favourite acts of the weekend, Zox.

They don’t really fit into the bracket of other bands. A mix of Sublime, The Pixies and Maximo Park; There is a ska influence, but mixed with indie rock. The defining feature being an electric violin player, taking the role of lead guitar, producing an interesting and unique overdriven sound. Although this setup felt a little sparse to me in the studio recordings at first, I appreciate hearing the string nuances and clarity of the instruments.

This album has certainly grown on me over time and I have never stopped enjoying it. The songs are excellently crafted and catchy. They are generally upbeat and tend to explore minor keys. The vocals are full of character and emotion, whilst being relatively sedate. A different sounding band, erring on the lighter side of rock, but definitely worth your listening time.

Zox formed in the early 2000s. They have released three studio albums and have remained relatively underground. ‘The Wait’ has never been released on vinyl.

Favourite songs - Fallen, Thirsty, Little More Time, Satellite





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