RetroHixz is an indie rock band based out of Greensboro, North Carolina that formed in early 2018. The band consists of Brandon Watkins on guitar/vocals, Chad White on bass, Gavin Tranter on synthesizer and Luke Taylor on drums/vocals. The band specializes in various forms of rock; everything from punk to prog to pop and even psychedelic. They got their start by playing shows in the local DIY house show scene with other local bands such as Blackhaus, Condado and The Quarter Roys. They released a demo in October of last year and the four song EP became six – The Lifeguard was born. It was mixed and mastered by Alberto “Birdie” Velazquez. The group gets their musical influences from bands Pink Floyd, Daft Punk, The Strokes and Modest Mouse. In general, they’ve been influenced by everything from ‘80s prog rock to mid ‘00s indie rock and punk rock.
The recording opens with the EP’s title track, which the band describes as a “soft ballad sandwiched between a tidal wave of power chords that come as quickly as they go.” The concept behind the song, and the record as a whole, is that life is fragile and can easily slip away from us. I’m not sure I would call this opening track a “ballad” in any traditional sense, but production wise, it offers a great raw and echoey sound as if they band were recorded in a large ballroom. Stylistically, the song is split into two parts and feels very prog rock. “Ultraviolet” features a prickly, gentle melody while the drumming cuts through with a thrusting beat. The band’s harmonious singing rounds out the song giving it a fuller sound overall. There is a break in between verses where things get kind of psychedelic, lending more dynamics to the song. “Sisters” has more of that ballad-like approach with mixes of indie pop/rock. The synths take more center stage here, too. Overall, the play between verses and chorus make this tune a very likable one I’d imagine. “Waiting for Walls” begins with a piano/synth interlude and it’s by far the band’s longest number. I really like the beginning to this one, and in some ways, it’s really in a class by itself from the rest of the album. The solo and somber trumpet reminded me of some cross between a sad Chet Baker tune and Herb Albert. Also, the “electronic voice box” effect reminded me of the futuristic classic and disco rock from the ‘70s but also Daft Punk. This tune was definitely RetroHixz’s most creative song and if I hadn’t mentioned it yet, the trumpet really added an extra layer of uniqueness. Doing a complete 180, comes “Barefoot Moscato” a punk/new wave cornucopia of rage-filled tension. It’s such a contrast from the last song, but I thought it fit well – it gives the listener an excellent sampling of what this band can do. The band’s last tune is “Drunk of a Wednesday” and spirit behind it sounds fun and playful. I could hear Modest Mouse influence here for sure. In the end, The Lifeguard didn’t disappoint. I thought it was well rounded and offers a range of styles, melodies and other twists and turns. For me, the biggest highlights were “Waiting for Walls” and “Barefoot Moscato.” These two songs sound completely different from one another and showcase just how much potential RetroHixz has. Although, the production of the entire EP sounded, well, not as balanced or mixed as well as it could have been, on the whole I overlooked it.
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