They don’t sound anything like Bon Jovi, but after listening, it’s fair to say that The Anix’s sophomore double album “Sleepwalker,†proves that this band is halfway there. Although most of the songs are mediocre and fail to get stuck in your head, the overall instrumental potential and vocal prowess in the songs that do work make The Anix a band that isn’t worth giving up on just yet.
“Cry Little Sister†and the title track, “Sleepwalker†are easily the highlights of the album. Futuristic beats and creeping vocals with haunting guitar work make The Anvil a hearty combination of The Bravery, The Crystal Method and a hungry U2. The fact that a three-piece can put together such a rich and deep sound, there’s no doubt this band hasn’t reached their prime yet. In the end however, this album will serve more as a stepping-stone to a greatness that is laid in the aforementioned tracks.
In spite of the problems on the album, it must be said that the drum work of Logan Smith is undeniably ferocious. Synchronizing with the stellar keyboard and guitar work of Chris Dinger, the band has an electronic, dark and devilishly sweet sound that sets them apart from the myriad of other synth/rock bands out there. Vocalist and guitarist Brandon Smith is also eclectic and talented enough to make himself stand out in the diverse bunch as well.
When everything comes together, they’re the type of band you can blast in your car and have passer-bys wondering what hot new band is playing. At its worst though, it feels like a calamity of noise that doesn’t quite work. While it isn’t that often, the vocals are low and hard to understand as well, making the tunes feel like they’re drowning out the singing, making it hard to comprehend holistically.
The second CD, comprised of remixes by Powerman 5000, Psychopomps and Mozart & Friends has the same problems as the original tunes. While the same songs are solid, the others just don’t do anything special.
The end result is an album that isn’t a breakthrough, but one that serves to prove the band can hit the right notes when they have to. Definitely worth a few bucks on iTunes for individual downloads, The Anvil is heavy, but hasn’t dropped completely as of yet.
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