Voxtrot

Here’s a superb debut release from the musically fertile ground of Austin, TX, which has given us some more outstanding guitar pop in the form a five-piece called Voxtrot. Formed by singer Ramesh Sravastava primarily as a personal music project, it was clear that the songs were too good to keep to himself. With the band in place these guys are onto something good. Influences come from all over the place: ’60s pop, ’80s UK indie like the Housemartins or the Smiths, or even the post-punk scene that has been co-opted by so many bands over the last year or two. Voxtrot’s songs get away with all this without sounding trite, since they have a bag full of hooks to work with. There is a dark energy to "Missing Pieces,” but then you feel the soft caress of "Long Haul.” The EP closes with "Wrecking Force,” which is far too brilliant for a band this young. This could easily be a huge hit had it been released by Maximo Park or others of their ilk. Srivastava’s emphatic vocals and the solid guitar melodies make it work perfectly. The fact that this is just their first crack at releasing music is promising to say the least. The wolves they were raised by must have had some pretty impressive record collections.