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CD Review: Adam and the Waxmen's latest gets the party started
'Universal Soldiers' oozes sex and soul all over the dance floor.
By MIKE OLCOTT
It's always good, when checking out a record, to give it the eyes-closed-at-the-show test. Lay those lids down, imagine a sweaty mess of a room with good friends nearby, and ask yourself if this groove could carry a fine time.
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HOW IT RATES
ADAM AND THE WAXMEN: "Universal Soldiers"
****
LABEL: Eve of the Atom Records
In the case of most moments on Adam and the Waxmen's latest filthy-nice LP, "Universal Soldiers," it nails the challenge, oozing sex and soul all over the dance floor.
As a church-fervored chesty tenor a la Four Tops natural Levi Stubbs, Waxman's got double rucksacks of talent, mos def. But what's remarkable is how every player in the room has caught the fever.
With each horn punch, bass run or beautifully understated guitar comment, the extended Waxmen are always reaching but never overstepping.
The opener, "Motown Mourning," sets a sultry tone, right in the sweet spot of Waxman's range.
The double-time toe tapping that goes on at the end of "Be Here Be Now" is as natural as a soaked summer shirt. The title track proves the troupe can do zest and funk like Jamiroquai, which is a rare feat indeed.
Sometimes Waxman sacrifices his robust resonance to try and make a move happen, a flaw laid bare in the too-pushy "Pick Up the Pieces."
There are stretches on "Universal Soldiers" where the songwriting feels unchallenging and reined in.
But The Waxmen as a team are as well oiled here as any engine in town.
It will be a thrill to hear this collective sound go deeper, and darker, the next time around.
Mike Olcott is a freelance writer who lives in Portland and Boston.
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