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Thursday, September 27, 2012

REVIEW - THE WAXIES "Wasted Saints"




The Waxies "Wasted Saints" Self-released (2012)
Release date: March 15,2012
Running time: 29:26, 8 tracks


"Wasted Saints" is the second album released by The Waxies. Many bands have used the word “tales” on their  titles in the last couple of years : “Tales from the Death Shore”, “Overground Tales”, “Tales from the Wasteland”… As you can see, that word cannot be found on the new Waxies album title. However, that’s exactly what the listener gets: a bunch of  tales written by different members of the band.

Empty Bed” is a kick-ass opening track with a great chorus (“Whiskey won’t fill, won’t fill this empty bed” ). American influences on a song on which vocals are shared by a boy and a girl ;  “The Way Back Home” is an excellent Russian/gypsy number with some klezmer influences (the sound of the clarinet); “Another Wasted Saint” is a top-notch song with parts of “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye” and “The Kesh”; and, of course, the last number, "Out in the Desert", an amazing Western song of revenge. Just listen to the intro of the song, it has all the elements to catch you: the sound of the Jews harp, a wolf and a train.

Together with these awesome self-penned songs, The Waxies have recorded four covers. I love “Irish Soldier Laddie”, with that tin whistle and mandolin sound à la Skels,  together with the fiddle. But their rendition of “The Raggle Taggle Gypsy” is very interesting too. Female vocals and a great tune on which the tin whistle and the fiddle shine.


The Waxies’ own universe is really appealing on both fronts, lyrically and musically. Maybe they are not so raucous as The Tossers or The Fisticuffs, but when I listen to their songs I realize that all the songs get the right treatment. The influences and genres are different, but the final result is really tight. Besides, every single instrument (banjo, mandolin, guitar, tin whistle, fiddle, bass and drums) can be heard on the mix and that’s something that I appreciate. It’s a little bit annoying when one reads that there are six, seven or eight musicians playing on a song and one cannot hear all the instruments.

If you like Lexington Field, The Dreadnoughts, Garrahan’s Ghost and Johnny Cash, then you will enjoy The Waxies too.

Tracklist:

1.Empty Bed 03:01
2.Irish Soldier Laddie 01:58
3.The Way Back Home 05:26
4.Another Wasted Saint 03:43
5.House Carpenter 03:53
6.The Rocky Road to Dublin 02:59
7.The Raggle Taggle Gypsy 02:38
8.Out in the Desert 05:30

http://www.thewaxies.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/thewaxiesgr
http://www.facebook.com/theWaxies

Click to buy:

http://thewaxiesgr.bandcamp.com/album/wasted-saints

Review by Kinksmarkham


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