Dryvetyme Onlyne

Hot Box
Four Eyes
Self-Released; 2009

I will never back down from my stance as an advocate of increasing in the number of women making substantive rock music. Not only do fans of rock need to hear songs from and about a woman’s perspective on life, but also, the men and boys who dominate the industry would be well served to have their egos knocked around a bit. This more than my personal preference for gender equality, this is about desiring a decided increase in the flavors my sonic palette engages.

Thus, fresh off the band’s 2008 Histone Code EP, Hot Box has returned with their eclectic, yet still highly accessible brand of indie rock on Four Eyes. This time, the Boston, MA-based quartet has ramped up the amount of post-rock and math-rock textures in its songs, and an excellent drummer with a diverse skill set propels the entire effort. Moreover, clean production values provide ample room for the listener to engage the heavy grooves and intertwining guitar lines that define this release.

However, what makes Four Eyes merely a good record is that, despite the high talent level displayed by the band regarding part-writing and melodic composition, there is a sense of exigency missing that would otherwise give the songs a grander flow. I would have preferred the band employ a more precise brush when putting together each song’s final arrangement, as many of these tunes run too long and begin to blur into each other. While tracks like “A1” and “Chainsmokers” are superb examples of a band finding and owning its niche, down to the interplay in tempo between post-punk and atmospheric rock, “brooding” selections like “Jacob” and “Little By Little” are just too tame in their poor attempts to slow things down and create a sense of moody ambience.

All in all, “Twin Falls” (my favorite cut) serves as the concluding track to Four Eyes in two distinct ways: 1) it is literally the last song, and 2) it provides the most pronounced climactic moment for a record that approaches the mountaintop a few times, but only climbs it here. Thus, the album ends well and leaves a pleasant sensation in the ears of the listener, which is what most people want from their music. Hot Box is definitely stepping into its own as a rock band, having left behind the raw indie-pop sound that colored its original songs and moving onto to become a more technically refined outfit. Here’s hoping that Danielle, Amanda, and the two gentlemen backing them up continue to move forward as musicians.