REVIEW: Voxtrot

Artist: Voxtrot
Album: Voxtrot
Plattenspieler Rating: 6.5/10

Having rode an astonishing wave of praise after two excellent EPs last year, the hype behind these Texans anglophiles has calmed a little and the vicious blogger backlash begun. Their 'Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives' was one of last years best singles, jabbed melodic guitars and fuzzy, Smiths-ish choruses burrowed into me and I was utterly enamoured. My personal backlashing moment came seeing them support The Shins over here and giving a just horrible performance (partly due to sound) that left me disappointed and redfaced with friends I'd recommended the band too.

When hype like this builds, taking a band on their own terms becomes difficult (a la Arctic Monkeys) but once the dust has settled and the talk silenced, Voxtrot have made a pretty good debut album. This was never to be a band to change you life, even their best work was utterly in thrall to melodic guitar chiming of the past from The Smiths to Wedding Present with a dose of Belle and Sebastian thrown in. The eloquence of those acts comes through at time with 'Kid Gloves' and the lovely, string drenched 'Introduction' opening the album in style. 'Ghost' never seems to deliver the promise while 'Firecracker' and 'Brother In Conflict' both fail on the count that they can't quite rock out the way the songs need them too. Great lines abound though throughout. "I never had guts, I'm a Velvet Touch" is particularly Morrissey-esque from 'Brother In Conflict' and singer Ramesh Srivastava does have a great turn of phrase. Elsewhere, 'Stephen' is a quirky, twee gem while 'Real Life Version' sound a little piano-rock but retains its appealing humanity.

Its no masterpiece but this is serviceable, enjoyable music and deserves attention, if not quite as much as it may well get.