Love’s Holiday by Oxbow

This one’s a fairly strong yet relatively typical noise rock record… until you hear the vocals. Eugene Robinson’s vocal delivery sends Love’s Holiday by Oxbow careening into greatness. Every word this man utters evokes such heavy emotion, from his rattly, craggy groans to his forceful shouts. Of course, there’s plenty else going on here too, including fun, spidery guitar leads and forceful rhythms, but everything Oxbow puts into this record seeks first and foremost to elevate Robinson’s voice. The resulting record tells a distinct story, or more accurately a distinct set of stories, that isolate and amplify all of the negative feelings that come bundled together with love. It’s no secret that many alternative bands, especially noisy ones, tack their vocals on as an afterthought, but Love’s Holiday really shows how much these other bands miss out on.

-Michael