Box Codax - Only An Orchard Away (Thin Man)
3/5
By: Keri Kennedy
Box Codax (a collaboration between Franz Ferdinand guitarist Nick McCarthy, wife Manuela and close pal Alexander Ragnew) are amongst the most difficult of bands to pigeonhole. We only attempt to do so with that warning.
Anyone hoping for the art rock indie of FF will be sorely disappointed, as 'Only An Orchard Away' is the polar opposite. Lo-fi synthetic beats, melodies that sound like they were constructed on a ZX Spectrum, the odd guitar riff and some seriously weird vocals are the components that make up most of the album. Sometimes one has to wonder if it's all a big piss-take, or if it's meant to be considered a serious art. I can't work it out.
'Pollockshields Girls' has what seems to be the music from (old MegaDrive procrastination device) 'Paperboy' in the background overlaid with jangling guitars and a robotic repetitive vocal. Highlight track 'Dogs To The Beaches' is Devo-esque, while 'I Swam With The Otter' tells a bizarre and eerie folk tale of swimming with an Otter friend.
Elsewhere, single 'Naked Smile' is possibly the most accessible track with its 'Another One Bites The Dust' stolen beats and catchy chorus, 'Missed Her Kiss' is totally stuck in the 1980s, along the lines of early Madonna with a chorus that'd be perfect on 'True Blue'. Sticking with the time of Thatcher, huge mobile phones and Adam Ant, the Autobahn-esque 'Boys And Girls' is minimalist industrial with a dirty bassline and Germanic vocal.
There's a huge range of influences here, from the flamenco, gypsy-folk of 'Do It With Charm' to' Like A Rock', which screams the melody from 'House Of The Rising Sun', and back to the retro electronica that dominates. Box Codax aren't meant for the masses, they'll either confuse or delight, depending on your state of mind.
Artists in this article: Box Codax
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