Phoxjaw - A Playground For Sad Adults
Country: 🏴
Genre: Grunge/Alt. Metal
Release Date: 5th July 2019
Record Label: Hassle Records
Band Members:
Danny Garland - Vocals, Bass
Josh Gallop - Guitar
Kieran Gallop - Drums
Alexander Share - Guitar
Production Personel:
Josh Gallop - Production and mixing
Joe Caithness - Mastering
Phoxjaw - Monday Man
Review
Rating (out of 5🤘): 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Favourite Track(s): Melt, You're A Face Of Wax, Monday Man, Whale,Whale,Whale
Yes my very talented buddies are back with a weird, very imaginative, complex, awesomely gritty, cataclysmically riff filled and strangely hypnotic new release from one of Bristol's best! Following on from belting singles Melt, You're A Face Of Wax and Monday Man, A Playground For Sad Adults is an even trippier adventure into the minds of Phoxjaw and an EP that has the progression and sound of songwriting experience that is way beyond the band members years. There is a boatload of blood, sweat and passion in this EP and shows Phoxjaw's growth as a band since 2017's Victorian Dolls/Spin Club single and 2018's barnstorming debut EP Goodbye Dinosaur... as their sound is more uniquely defined with each release.
Musically, straight away there is a darker more ethereal vibe transcending through the whole EP with more choral type vocals which makes it equally more creepy and strange in the best way possible. From my point of view there is a very distinct Deftones style of dynamics, you'll know what I mean if you're a Deftones fan, but the main gist of it is when it ramps up it fucking ramps up with a fucking awesome intensity, the best example of this is Bodiesinthewall. Which I think is a special song on this EP as it sees the band strip it back a little, which after all the intensity of the first three tracks is quite refreshing. This sentiment is carried on in the intro and verses in The Curse Of The Button Man. I love the songwriting more than anything, especially in the last two songs which not only bring the dark discordance that Phoxjaw are known for but you hear a delicate softer side to the band with the incorporation of the piano and floating guitar melodies. Overall, I feel this overacting prog influence as there is only one way I could possible describe some of the more obscure elements of the EP, very few albums and EP genuinely leave me at a loss for words, A Playground For Sad Adults can now join and take over that club.
My inner producer is also blown away at how massive each song sounds. The production process has bottled up all that Phoxjaw live energy, shaken it up, unscrewed the cap and let it froth and fizz with all its might into my ear holes. Alongside capturing the obscurity of the songwriting, everything is so equally balanced in this sonic space that I'd think the band were actually playing in my head and using my cavernous skull as an extra reverb. The clean lead guitar parts that drift above the crunchy and overdriven riffs remind of what Architects do with their leads, which is awesome. With some of the more twangier tones cutting through just the right amount to really catch your ears. The weight and precision tuning in the low end really gives a strong power base for everything, and can I just take a second to talk about that bass tone, mate its so dirty its a thing of beauty, especially in Whale, Whale, Whale.
This is a phenomenal EP and well worth the wait! You'd be a fool of a Took to sleep on this band and this EP. If you're at 2000Trees this year make sure you see them live, if you don't I won't be angry just very disappointed. Get your ears round A Playground For Sad Adults now!
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