Taste of Little Italy
Endoxi Endoxi
Welcome to the Good Times
(self-released)
Aside from a few notable cock-rockers (Kid Rock, David Lee Roth), there haven’t been too many, uh, artists who’ve just come right out and admitted what listeners pretty much already know: Most rock bands started playing music so they could score chicks.
It would seem unfair of me to speculate that Endoxi falls into this category. If I’m to judge them solely on the eight songs from this new album, I can honestly say there’s absolutely nothing artful or original in their blend of schmaltzy, Maroon 5-style pop and contrived, poor-man’s-Kings of Leon-type rock. I mean, it’s all here: call-and-response crowd pleasers (“Hey, Operator!”), lighters-in-the-air power ballads (“Witch Doctor”) and, of course, the anthemic party single (“Welcome to the Good Times”). I can only imagine that the band hopes the latter becomes a breakout single that suburban teenage girls will blast in their car, pumping their fists as they prepare to get drunk at the frat party.
One thing that Endoxi does have going for them is the production, which is crisp for a self-released affair. They also score a few sympathy points for having a capable sax player and organist. Other than that, I don’t even know why I’m reviewing this when frontman Chris Wilson’s own description of the band will do just fine: “Endoxi is Mozart, drunk on Metallica’s wine, flying through space on a rock n’ rocket ship... a 1940’s big band Black Crowes playing with dirty Dave Matthews at Woodstock, we lit Jimi Hendrix on fire!”
If you’re a woman who really likes rocker guys, then, by all means, buy this album and go to an Endoxi show. But to me, the description above sounds like the worst shit I could ever possibly let infect my ears.
Correction: The original review incorrectly reported that Welcome to the Good Times is Endoxi's debut album. Their debut album is Earthbound, which was released in 2010. We apologize for the error.
