Swax

AMG Review of Swax

Bradley Torreano
All Music Guide

Scapegoat Wax was prepped to cause the same stir that labelmates Luscious Jackson had inspired in the early '90s when suddenly Grand Royal went under. Now signed to Hollywood, the band gets their second chance to make an impression on Swax. Bouncy beats, sensual basslines, sexy acoustic guitar work, and the occasional synth line add up to a steamy pop album that knows how to keep things moving. Singer Marty James has a rather indistinct voice, but his approach is novel and the mixture between humorous aps and smooth crooning works more often than not. He incurs comparisons to Fred Durst at times, which is more appropriate in this forum, but may turn off listeners who aren't fans of ap-rock. But the band never launches into thrashing guitar theatrics, they just keep delivering the smoking grooves and let James have his fun over the top of it. Party-friendly and amiable, Swax may not be instantly memorable, but it's still a fine album that suffers from a lack of strong individual tracks.