Posted on: January 18, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Pawbox – S/T / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/pawbox /

Pawbox does not immediately shoehorn themselves into a specific style of music. Sure, they play rock music, but it is hard to tell where exactly they get their influences during a track like ”O.O.T.N.I.F.”. There are hints of HIM, Velvet Underground, and even the Stone Temple Pilots, but these only describe a fraction of the band’s sound. The rest of Pawbox’s sound during this track is open for interpretation, and my interpretation is that the band has enough skill and ability that what comes forth is their own style. With the emotionally heavy opening to “Leave The Door Open”, it starts to seem to me that Pawbox could conceivably be the next thing. Their sound is something that could easily be accepted on rock radio rotation, but it is painfully obvious by this second track that what is coming forth from the stereo is Pawbox.

What the band does during this self titled EP is equivalent to what Disturbed and Godsmack did on their earliest releases – create a style of music that works within the current dynamic but shows at every point who the act is, rather than the band trying to emulate who is already big in the genre. Sure, if you are not a fan of the current rock genre that is popular, chances are good that you will not like Pawbox. However, their effort on this EP is very compelling, and is at such a high level that I know that I will be looking for more information about the band as the years pass.  Give Pawbox a shot if you like a style of rock that firmly installs itself in what is currently accepted, and would rather go into the lighter rather than the harder side of things. Give the band a shot, for they may just be the next big thing.

Top Track: Leave The Door Open

Rating: 7.0/10

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