EP REVIEW: Goodbye Dinosaur… – Phoxjaw

If you’re a regular to the music scene in the South West, the name PHOXJAW incites a knowing smile. The Bristol-based quintet have been popping up across the city and surrounding areas on a regular basis, gaining a hardcore group of followers with their high-octane and often unpredictable live shows. Now comes that tricky task of capturing that raw, untamed sound through some microphones and a mixing desk. Released now is Goodbye Dinosaur…, the band’s debut EP and a glimpse to those who have not caught them in the flesh until now what they’re likely to expect.

Combining the alt-rock magic of DEFTONES with the post-hardcore vibes of GLASSJAW and adding a dash of the downtrodden grunge that SOUNDGARDEN made so famous, PHOXJAW have put a lot of thought into the songs on Goodbye Dinosaur… in order to make this first release as much of a showcase about them as possible. In large areas, it works too – Triceratops, the first full song off the back of ominous intro The Great Dying has a massive riff from Josh Gallop that dips in and out before returning at the end in mosh-inducing glory, but the softer verses do well to sidestep the listener and keep them wondering where the song’s going next. Lead single Lottery is possibly the closest thing on the EP to one of the band’s incendiary live shows, picking the pace up with a math rock edge and delivering a timely, three-minute punch to the gut as its soaring chorus takes over with aplomb.

Latest single Weapons continues the PHOXJAW ethos of keeping the listener on its toes, another set of cleaner, melodic vocals sandwiched in between a schizophrenic maelstrom of drums and samples from the work of Huw Allen. Plastic Wedding, the longest song here, takes a much different and darker path; the tempo is slowed right down and, despite it quickening at random intervals, is much more atmospheric and doomier, the perfect track to play as you watch a rain cloud roll in towards you. Finishing things off is Dinosaur Bones, which brings the mood back up with another massive guitar lick and more expansive, post-rock tones, highlighting once more the band’s versatile nature even when it’s in the middle of a track.

It can be nigh-on impossible to truly ensnare the frenetic element of a band in the studio; as a result, the razor sharp edge that makes PHOXJAW such a formidable live band has been compromised and this does affect the overall impact of Goodbye Dinosaur… However, what is undoubtedly present is the band’s brimming potential and raw talent, which will serve them well in the upcoming weeks when they tour with PAGAN up and down the country. The future is bright.

Rating: 7/10

Goodbye Dinosaur… is out now via self-release.

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