5/7
For this TBT review we are going back to 2005 and over westward to the city I'm moving to after graduation, Texas. Austin, Texas can be a breeding ground for new bands - from South by South West (SXSW) to Austin City Limits - and the 2005 version of Voxtrot is the perfect example. Raised By Wolves EP was the first non-single release from the sweet indie rock Voxtrot. Formed by front man Ramesh Srivastava, Jason Chronis, Matt Simon, Mitch Calvert, and Jared Van Fleet, rounded up the group.
Voxtrot broke up in 2010, and although they have only have one full length album released, Voxtrot's EPs are packed full of songs that deserve to be on them, no album filler tracks.
The band is best known for their 2006 EP Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives, for which they did national touring including a stint at NYC's CMJ Music Marathon. The songs on Raised By Wolves EP are simple and sweet, like a sunny Sunday afternoon. They are happy, but not ecstatic - like the memory of a joke that made you chuckle but not the actual joke itself.
The EP is reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, especially in "The Start of Something" which was the lead single for this release ."Long Haul" is a indie ballad - complete with chiming glockenspiels- that truly showcases the melodic softness of lead singer Ramesh Srivastava's vocals. While Srivastava's vocals are silky, it is the bass that truly makes this EP. It is mobile and injects the songs with energy in it's groove. The favorite for the EP is the center pace "Missing Pieces" who sings "I would do much better if I thought there was any other reason/ to keep away the beauty from the dirt" all to confess the longing in missing someone. The final track on Raised By Wolves EP is "Wrecking Force" who's subdued The Smiths meet The Strokes guitar has a slightly different vibe than the rest of the EP - one that you wish were a little louder. Over all, even a decade later, the EP is a good one.
See the track list below:
- Raised By Wolves
- The Start of Somthing
- Missing Pieces
- Long Haul
- Wrecking Force
Listen to the title track below:
