EP Review: Waxflower - We Might Be Alright

When someone cites a band as an influence who happens to have had distinct chapters in their history, it's not as helpful a touchstone as they might think. Let's take Waxflower as an example. They arrive with this new EP touting among their influences Jimmy Eat World. What does that have to do with what I'm saying? Jimmy Eat World have plenty of jangly pop/punk in their career that plenty of bands draw inspiration from. They also have "Futures", the 2000s version of "Pinkerton" in their catalog, and no one ever points to that as their biggest influence. What a shame.

Anyway, Waxflower is playing pop/punk of the more reflective variety. They are not about the fast riffs, bouncing energy, and walls of guitars. Their music is more layered, more restrained, and tapping into feelings that go beyond rebellious anger. In that sense, the Jimmy Eat World comparison is absolutely on point. The ethos behind the music is indeed the same, even if they can't match Jim Adkins' melancholy wail.

There's another comparison to be drawn here; Yours Truly. They took home Album Of The Year honors from me in 2020, and it was because they used to bright and sticky sound of pop/punk to examine themselves and document a journey of growth and evolution. Waxflower's music has that same feeling to it, which is reflective of the silver lining in the proverbial clouds. Or perhaps it's more akin to how the moonlight makes a dirty puddle look like mirrored glass.

When they say "We Might Be Alright" in the title track, the uncertainty is a dose of reality. We will survive, surely, but there is no guarantee we will come out the other side without feeling broken. Part of putting yourself back together is admitting you have fallen apart, and even now it takes some courage to write about such things. Music with this tonality, that embraces the shades of gray we live in, is more important than the brightest, shiniest pop that distracts us momentarily. Sugar highs never last.

Like "Integrity Blues" from Jimmy Eat World, Waxflower is able to meld slightly colder textures with soothing melodies to conjure up a sound that bridges the light and dark. "Fake Frown" could easily be a pop/punk hit, but the band doesn't lean into making the song a ploy for that goal. It feels organic, and weightier than something that doesn't carry a true meaning behind it. That may make their rise a bit slower, but it portends endurance.

This EP shows Waxflower is threading the needle, and they are joining the ranks of bands using their music to reflect the tumultuous emotional reality we have been living in. I commend them for that. I'm sure there will be people helped hearing that.