The Waxwings
Low to the Ground
Bobsled
Mere words cannot describe the heaven of this record. Gathering up everything that is great about pop music – inventive melodies, soaring vocals, crunchy, snarling guitars in a lush production – the Waxwings debut record is one of the best releases of this (or any other) year. Imagine what sort of records Brian Wilson would have made if he had been chasing the Stones and Syd Barrett instead of McCartney and the Beatles, and you will have an idea of the band’s sound. From the rush of “Keeping the Sparks” to the summoning beauty of “It Comes in Waves,” Low to the Ground arrives like cool rain on a hot day. This is the way records should be made – great playing and singing of songs written, not sampled, adapted or otherwise stolen – all in a work that shows something new, something deeper on each listen. Not unlike label-mates Velvet Crush, the Waxwings set high standards. For a band to do this on their first shot out of the barrel is frightening indeed. Take the coins from a dead man’s eyes and buy this record.
Bobsled, P.O. Box 6407, Aurora, IL 60598; http://www.bobsledrecords.com/
