Rolling rock progression takes away the breath, capturing the drama and the SHEER PACE of life in the rat race. After opening for THE WHO following a serie of diverse day-jobs, South African maestro JOSH FIX has unleashed a powerful and instantly addictive debut. It makes for compulsive listening.
‘Keep your dreams in your head’ is the declaration of ‘Don’t Call Me In The Morning’, as the lyrics start their unnerving trend of evoking empathy in torrential proportions. Slippery momentum and irresistible charm suck you in as Josh’s falsetto accentuates the pain behind the closed door
The record charts the coolest of courses through prog-rock, with tempos ranging from a stomping hi-drama to delicate harmonic arpeggios. As the thumping keys hammer out the melodies, the opener gives way to the shape-throwing ‘Jethro’.
The rock-steady blues-flavour is strong in this demonic tale. 7T’s guitar sounds hint at the dinosaur postures, but oh, my, the music is strong!! Swept away by the momentum once again, yodelling vocals match the riffs on piano and guitar, as everything comes compressed in truly prog-rock fashion.
Written, produced and performed in its entirety by the artist himself, this absorbing and engaging rock n roller recaptures ‘Wings’-era sounds and breathes fresh life effortlessly into them.
During ‘Whiskey and Speed’, the harpsichord adds a touch of psychedelia to the stomping cacophony as the lines of the song merge and melt together. The guitar solos are obsessive, repetitive and possessed by the devil himself, and the resulting jam soundtracks the inevitable highway to hell all too clearly.
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The rolling percussion of ‘Burn It Down’ marks out a cycle of substance abuse and cerebral disorientation in the same glorious period detail, superbly reworked. Lyrics like ‘Hold yourself like a bunch of dying flowers’ are the perfect pause for effect before the track is submerged in harmonic cacophony.
Luscious, lost in itself and full of soul, this is one hell of a trip. The Water On My Brain’ chimes with delicious ambience, before being swept away by the progressive in minor chord cycles. ‘Bad With The Superbad’ sees the breakneck top speed of the album restored, gasping for breath or about to freefall.
Strong on groove-power, this eyes-closed record chimes, lurches and spins through drama after drama, leaving you clutching at its vapour trail. Huge and heartfelt, this is without doubt one of the most ambitious and triumphant debuts of the year.
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