Band:	Oxbow
Album:	Love's Holiday
Style:
Release date:	July 21, 2023
A review by:	X-Ray Rod

01. Dead Ahead
02. Icy White & Crystalline
03. Lovely Murk
04. 1000 Hours
05. All Gone
06. The Night The Room Started Burning
07. “ “
08. Million Dollar Weekend
09. The Second Talk
10. Gunwale

Oxbow have always written love songs. But, due to people’s misconceptions about their dark, brooding, sometimes violent style, they decided to be more direct this time.

Five years is a much better waiting time than the decade-long pause we had before — although that wait gave us Thin Black Duke, which is both a highlight and a turning point in their discography, giving way to a smoother, jazzier take on their alternative/noise rock. It was also particularly impressive given the quality of the deliciously disturbing The Narcotic Story. Needless to say, I was very excited to hear new stuff from this band that just turned 35(!) years old.

The first singles that I checked out before listening to the whole album were the first two songs. They intrigued me, but also left me wanting more. This is because they are much more streamlined in their approach. At first glance, it seems that Oxbow are demonstrating more violence in comparison to Thin Black Duke, which relished in its dark, jazzy tunes. One could even call them “simple” by the band’s standards, yet with some extra bursts of aggression and adrenaline, doubled down by the uniquely intense vocal style of Eugene Robinson.

But, I wanted it darker. And darkness is to be found in later tracks. The quartet of songs from “Lovely Murk” to “The Night The Room Started Burning” (killer song titles, by the way) brings an enchanting broodiness to the table, much akin to their older works. Some neat surprises come in the form of choirs and a cameo by Kristin Hayter (Lingua Ignota), which add extra flavor to the songs. This is my favorite portion of Love’s Holiday, as these tracks capture what I love most about Oxbow: intoxicating melancholia.

And I don’t mind repeating myself: Eugene Robinson is a fucking madman behind the mic. His voice is the definition of sexual tension. He commands such an imposing persona. It gives me visions of a mafia boss who just dropped acid after a heartbreak and is about to smoke some poor bastards. He sounds stressed, unstable and on the verge of lashing out. This makes his tender words all the more desperate.

I’m further surprised by the album’s development, starting aggressive, then following up with the aforementioned melancholic tracks. But the last 3 songs dive into an even slower and somber style. “Million Dollar Weekend” has gorgeous instrumentation with celestial flutes to boot — like entering a dream in between the alcoholic nightmare. But then come “The Second Talk” and “Gun whale”, which sound so heavy that, with enough distortion and more strain in Eugene’s voice, they could have passed off as sludge metal.

I might enjoy Love’s Holiday a bit less than the last two records, but Oxbow still retain their high profile within the alternative/noise rock scene. With an album that successfully manages to change atmospheres and moods, it can prove a solid starting point for newcomers and a confirmation for old-time fans like myself.

“Fucking is a dangerous game”