Box_ – Hello (Special Glowing) World!

Box_
Hello (Special Glowing) World!

If Elf Power had decided to form an Electronica band instead of an Elephant 6 one, I have a feeling they might have started life like Box_. The music is packed full with a veritable zoo of strange electronic beeps, skronks, whirls, buzzes but happily the underlying song structure and vocals ARE there. Think Postal Service and The Album Leaf fronted by Jason Lytle or Robert Pollard.

By the way, if you can’t seem to find Box_ online, perhaps it’s because you aren’t including that underscore… try Box Underscore.

This duo of Josh and Derek have created a rare thing here: semi-electronica that I actually have a shot of listening to and digging. A lot of it has to do with the fact that it’s not just dumbed down TR808 beats after beats for 25 minutes. Granted the electronics can at times get extremely dense and overbearing and the vocals take an extended hiatus. But there’s actual acoustic guitar amidst the mayhem. There’s melody and singing. These are nice songs, not extended electronic wankings.

Sometimes certain tracks, such as “Parts1″, remind me of the noisier, less folky side of Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. I also feel like they could be a higher-fi version of the arcade pop that Elliott The Letter Ostrich puts out. I need to confess that I’ve only listened to this entire album once so far… while making lunch. I feel like it’s active as opposed to passive music. I feel like I need to be doing things while listening rather than vegging out on the sofa. Still, there are some shiny, shiny gems to be had on the album and the tracks will probably find their way to my Ipod sooner than later.

Before you proceed, though, I need to warn you that there is a ton of pink noise distortion going on amidst the actual songs. DON’T play this while your parents are home… but then, when do you ever play your music for your parents?

Members:

Derek Dobson
Josh Nissenboim

The Box_ website

by Tyranosaur