The Epoxies

(Dirtnap)
by Craig Regala

Tinfoil hat “new wave” ’80s roots intensified and streamlined away from the hinky-jerkiness of much of that stuff in favor of a pushier punk and roll take on such goofiness. So, ticky-tacky drums and simple synth melodies and telegraph-beeping get driven along by the good ole chopped-chord guitaring and strong melodic female singing.

The singer pulls some of those chirps, hiccups, and stutters that made Lene Lovitch, Dale Bozzio, and Nina Hagan memorable, not that I care. I’d rather risk a dose of the syph* than listen to a Nina Hagan rec., but hey, skimming the useful 2% of anything’s a good idea, and really is just part and parcel of the language. The key is the tunes, and The Epoxies have a cool half dozen good ones and no real crap in the 11 cuts.
(PO Box 21249 Seattle, WA 98111)

*Syphilis. This is the venereal disease that scared the bejesus outta early new wavers, until AIDS came along, making the syph look ok.