Archives 1987-92 – Waxworks (Vi-Nil Records)
A collection of songs from the long defunct Sydney band Waxworks. If you're unfamiliar with them (as I was, although I'm well acquainted with singer-guitarist Ed Garland) it's probably worth delving into a bit of background about the inner city Sydney scene at the cusp of the 1980s
Much of Sydney still had a post-Birdman hangover with many bands still chasing that sound. There was a smattering of post-punk and of course heavier punk/hardcore bubbling away in the underground, and the emergence of power pop was gaining the attention of critics and punters alike. There were even a number of Paisley-clad ‘60s garage/psych revivalist bands that were quite popular. And of course pub rock was everywhere.
Waxworks were a different beast altogether. A band which seemed to be loved by critics that gained plenty of airplay in Melbourne and in the USA but with only a small following at home. Of course largely ignored by "tastemakers" at JJJ who, five years later would be pulling themselves over bands who sounded similar but not as good. So not a lot has changed there in some ways.
Waxworks were active for five years and when they quit, effectively became two bands - the more pop-oriented DisneyFist and the heavier Dwarfthrower, another band beloved by critics. Many members went on to be regulars in the Aussie indie scene, featuring in bands like Smudge and Decoder Ring among others. But enough of the history lesson – let’s get into the bloody music.
The album is a collection of tracks (13 on vinyl and two extra via download) that were recorded at different times in different places but the quality remains consistent throughout. That’s a credit to the mastering of Mike Stavrou - which is hardly surprising as he's been involved with projects from the likes of Bowie, Bolan, McCartney and The Pretenders.
On first listen, a few things immediately struck me. One was the diversity of the sounds. There’s a hell of a lot of different things and styles going on yet it all seems to come together really well and several of the songs take interesting turns. They’re well written. The musicians can play.
If anything the band sounds like it was before its time, as most of the songs would have been quite at home on ‘90s college radio in the US or on JJJ if the band knew the right people. You wonder what would have happened if someone had thrown a bunch of money at them early on. They might have ended up being household names amongst Aussie indie music fans.
There's a lot of saxophone spread across the songs but fear not - it works pretty well and in some cases is quite restrained, and when it’s not it actually adds something to the songs.
The guitars are tight with the right amount of jangle and distortion - more leads would have been nice because they're few and far between; but when they're there they cook. But Waxworks weren't that kinda band, in truth They were more about trimming the fat than adding flashy parts.
Ed Garland’s vocals at times take on the bored sneer of Chris Bailey and at others a more frantic urgency akin to Mark Arm, and there's a hint of Black Francis slacker in there too, but no fake American accent (which is nice.)
There's really not anything I’d regard as filler here, and while listening a couple of times through on a road trip, I didn't find my finger hovering over the skip button. If Waxworks had crap songs they didn't put them on this record.
Happily, there were some really strong and enjoyable cuts on the record and five or six that will wind up being in my driving playlist. These were the stand-outs:
“Digging My Garden”: Tthis one grabbed me quickly and had a touch of that English Greebo sound. There's a touch of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin or Wonderstuff once this gets going, as well bands like The Pixies and Pavement. A real earworm. The interplay between the guitar and bass on this one really stands out, and the vocals and sax fit well.
“Seasick”: -This is pure ‘90s fuzzy alt.rock that woukld have found a home on JJJ if released a few years later. Fun and energetic and with unexpectedly good sax and guitar interplay in the outro which could have gone on longer and leaves you wanting more.
“War”: The best song on the album for me. A slice of cool punk rock with an tremendous sax hook running through it. Had me singing along and hitting repeat. If you take anything away from this review it should be that this song exists and is fucking great. Yeah it’s an old song it’s up there for my favourite song of the year.
“Madman”: An unexpected turn into post punk and goth territory. I hear Echo and the Bunnymen, The Gun Club, Sisters of Mercy, and maybe a bit of Bad Seeds. The kind of thing I imagine very pale people smelling of clove cigarettes and patchouli dance mournfully along to in some poorly-lit club
“Monkey Pot:: Another surprise with the excellently named Goknur Ustundag providing the female vocal that competes with Garland’s male one. She sounds like Souixise and the B52s’ Kate Pierson. Slashing Mudhoney-esque guitars and a middle part that borrows from psychedelic rock before coming back into proto grunge territory. Would be the highlight of the album if “War” wasn't so fucking good
“Here She Comes”: Smart and slightly angular. Like a fever dream of noise rock and grunge. I wish it were longer. The manic vocals and guitar really shine here and the drummer’s giving it a red hot go too.
“Sleep”: It’s a slice of mid to late 90s alternative rock except it comes from 1992. The chorus is catchy as fuck. Garland’s off kilter vocals work well and the prominent sax doesn't detract from what is a nicely-crafted tune.
"House of Cards": There's a touch of alt country or southern gothic about this - something you might find on a record Tex Perkins was involved with. The song builds to a bid rocking finish. Another one where the musicianship shines through.
All in all I found this a bloody good listen. The songs were never boring and there were plenty of unexpected turns. Often, bands that attempt so many different things come across as disjointed but there was none of that here, and there were many familiar sounds but nothing sounded stolen. This is a band that should have been bigger, could have went further - but at least we have this.
It's coming out on blue vinyl and on CD thanks to tremendous New South Wales Central Coast label Vi-Nil Records. The LP version comes with a neat insert with great images and a bit of history of the band. If you're a fan of Aussie indie music from the ‘90s (or you just like good alternative stuff) you should probably add this to your collection. - Sean St Leone 
1/2
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