Jam Band: Zox's The Wait

The newest from Zox, The Wait, hits the street on August 23 with another classically-trained violin Jam Band jam. The groove is back throughout as the band ranges between styles, soloing and vamping with whatever spare sounds that might be coming from a dorm room window. “Thirsty” takes a little Santana-spiced blues guitar. While the “El” in Chicago clicks by in the story of “Carolyn,” Zox takes a ska tempo after a laid back intro.

There’s a wicked violin on “Anything But Fine” as the song builds. “Better If It’s Worse” and “Bridge Burning” follow right after with a darkly rhythmic sound, “Burning” having a violin sound like Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven). “Can’t Look Down” rocks out with violin lead and an acoustic guitar pattern like the Smiths. The bass opener of “I Am Only Waiting” calls U2’s “Exit” to mind, but then there’s also the disco snare-spinning on the chorus.

In all of those styles, though, the jamming groove reigns in supreme in Zox’s kingdom. The gates are open; come on in.

With Jam Band culture building on Deadhead culture building on the Hippies of the 60’s, the theme of lost is not lost in these songs. In “Carolyn,” the speaker can’t leave the girl. In “A Little More Time,” the speaker doesn’t sound quite ready for commitment. In “Anything But Fine,” are we just looking for a one-night stand?

The passionate love so often expressed in the Jam Band scene seems to also come into contrast with the notion of free love. The music primes you to declare undying, faithful, whole-heart love, while the eyes-wide-open approach to life leaves open every other possibility that comes along. Maybe that’s all rock music—the grass is greener on the other side, new love is the only true love, and all of that. I can get caught up in the groove, but not the idea that love can be as fleeting as the charging tempos of a jamming band.

Thanks to Zox and Armo Records for the review copy.