ALBUM REVIEW: At Least I’m Free – Waax
WAAX‘s debut album – Big Grief – was produced by Bernard Fanning, who is best known for producing albums for rock band POWDERFINGER, and Nick DiDia, who is best known for producing a few BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN records (most notably 2002’s The Rising). With a production team like that, it is no wonder that the rock band from Brisbane, Australia made the impact they did, nor that they have teamed up with them again for their second album, At Least I’m Free. The eleven song album has an award winning single (Most Hated Girl), a collaboration with K.Flay on No Doz, and a song co-written by LINDA PERRY (Dangerous).
Mermaid Beach gets things off to a surprising start. It is slow at first, but it does end up kicking into a high energy rocker. This is followed by the swaggering rock of Read Receipts, in which guitarists James Gatling and Ewan Birtwell are clearly having a lot of fun in particular.
The most impressive thing about this album is that it does not fall into the ‘sophomore slump’. It is clear that WAAX still very much mean business, even as the sound on each of the songs is different. For example, No Doz is an upbeat pop-rock song. On the other hand, Most Hated Girl is an angry punk song. This change in genres might sound like a riot of noise, but thanks to the production team, this is not the case here.
The production team also get the pacing of the album right. Each song sounds like it deserves to be on there, no matter what genre. Mixing genres is not an easy task – even the most expert bands who mix genres do not always hit the mark – but WAAX do it with ease.
Even slower songs such as Beam Me Up do not damage the overall pacing of the album. In fact, some listeners might appreciate the break in the energy. Of course, Beam Me Up does not slow down the energy, especially as it smoothly turns into a rock song. Elsewhere, Dangerous does slow things down immensely, but this stripped-back song truly allows Maz DeVita to show off her impressive voice. Whether she is singing angry punk songs (such as on the excellent Help Me Hell) or songs like Dangerous, she has a truly impressive vocal range. At Least I’m Free shows her at her very best. In fact, this album showcases all the band at their very best. It is easy to see that they have improved upon their sound.
In conclusion, At Least I’m Free is a fantastic second album. It showcases a band who have true talent. This album is well-produced, and it does not fall into the trappings that many bands have with their second album. WAAX know their style; the production is fantastic and the album is constant in its sound. There is a fantastic mix of genres on this album, ranging from punk to pop, which always works well and never ends up sounding like a noisy mess. The pacing is fantastic, and is not too slow or too fast. If you’re not listening to WAAX, you are truly missing out. They are a very exciting band whose name deserves to get bigger. And – judging by this album – the waves they’ve already made are about to spread even further.
Rating: 9/10
At Least I’m Free is set for release on August 12th via Dew Process.
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