Review: We've Got A Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It - Fuzzbox EP

[Joe Turner <cutter%umass-boston.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>]

We've Got a Fuzz Box and We're Gonna Use It
`Fuzz Box EP'
Vindaloo Records (Distributed by Cartel)

1: X X Sex
   Do I Want To?

2: Rules and Regulations
   She

...Fuzzbox... are a fun band from Birmingham, UK, and this EP proves why
they've been high in the charts. The four Fuzzbox'ers - Vix, Jo, Tina, and
Mags (yes, all female) - play a swirling mix of '60s pop, a little distortion
(they DO use their fuzzboxes!), some Go-Go's, and a little thrash, just for
good measure. The four songs on this EP took me by surprise; I was not expect-
ing a lot from this band (not a lot of hype and a novelty name).

"X X Sex", with it's fuzzed-to-hell bass line and punchy b-vox, is a poke at
the Page 3 nudies in British daily papers. "Do I Want To?" features a silly
sax line that is painfully off-key and a semiconservative attitude towards
casual sex ("It's something that I've never done, do I want to?"). The flip
side starts with "Rules and Regulations", a Jesus & Mary Chain-ish song
(sans feedback) with a slightly anarchistic outlook ("There must be more to
life than rules and regulations that you must obey"). The final song, "She",
gets a little more rhythmicly interesting, and features no guitar whatsoever.
Instead, we get harmonies and some bell-type percussion.

This is an EP in the loosest sense of the word. There are four songs, but
it plays at 45. Thus, we get four very short songs. The budget for this is
of course low, but there is talent here - with more money and more time in the
studio and better engineering (the vocals sometimes get washed out in echo)
I think ...Fuzzbox... could be a very up-and-coming band.

The record is also on purple vinyl...!

In short, a good buy. Fun to listen to, although it's length leaves you
wanting more.

Later.

				Save your parity bits for big cash prizes!
						Joe

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