Fox/Chris Sinclair is actually a double EP. Fox is by the band Fox and Chris Sinclair is by Chris Sinclair who is part of the band Fox. Fox is just awesome. It's got that "classic" classic rock sound on par with Zeppelin, Hendrix, the Velvets, etc.and even takes some cues from lesser known also-rans like Sir Lord Baltimore and Pentagram. The heavy-balled guitar playing shreds through tracks like "Let Me Down" and intimidates in tracks like "Big Fred." These guys are big on bass lines –fat commanding things that dictate innocuous rhythms that suddenly grow taut and whip your ears mid-song. I'm partial to bass work in "High Tide Rising," a simple, repetition that plods along as if in step with a chain gang. Drumming is on-point as well, the other half of a power rhythm section that channels blues and proto-metal sensibilities, which is a fancy way of saying this sound reminds me of a lot of my favorite bands from these genres. This is hard rock, basically, but damn good hard rock. Chris Sinclair focuses more on the strength of progression. Songs start genially enough, but quickly accelerate into high-octane affairs except "Far Away" that flows evenly up until the guitar solo that closes the album. The opener "Dayumn" ("Said that one's got some eyes like DAYUMN!") injects some humor in paranoia with the lyrics' content and Sinclair's own sublime stylings for both guitar and bass. The bass work here, and throughout the album, I'd say is far funkier than that heard on Fox. The notes linger long enough to wiggle in your ear before progressing into the next and it's mixed it such away that it often takes precedence over the other instrumental work. Much of the sounds heard on Sinclair pay homage to the writhing sounds of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the fuzzy blue tones of The Black Keys. This all comes to a head on the eight-minute closer "Motherfucker (Burn It Down)" where Sinclair tantalizes and torments by alternating the quiet and heavy moments. Violent guitar theatrics smolder over more easygoing percussion while the bass desperately tries to stay afloat next to its searing brother. It's a very wise decision to release these two EPs concurrently. Both contain some of the sweatiest, sexiest rock ‘n roll I've heard while reviewing for The Equal Ground. Both are also similar in sound while having enough nuances to attract people not necessarily into the other. Anyway, we'll need bigger bandwidth if dudes like these send us their submissions.
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