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CD REVIEW: Halovox - Self-Titled
By Steve Allat - 02/23/2005 - 02:13 AM EST
Artist: Halovox
Album: Self-Titled
CD Review:
Label: Independent Tracks: 14 Released: 2004 For Fans Of: Pet Shop Boys, ABC, Depeche Mode, Fav Tracks: Make Me Yours, Deception, Save Yourself, Retrospect
It's Saturday Night at the Roxbury, everyone, so put on your dancin' shoes - oh yeah! Frank J. Freda has been around the scene for a long time (check his bio on the website) and here he releases the debut album with his electronic band, Halovox.
Touching on stereotypically universal themes of love, sex, fate & destiny and all things grand which can be solved on the dance floor. The lyrics can sound a slight bit cheesy, but I think that's excusable considering the genre. This is about having fun and pondering those things in life and then sweating it off.
The disc is thoroughly enjoyable, even though I can't really perceive of anything groundbreaking here. I genuinely felt how confidently & convincingly these tunes come to life with Frank's guidance. The voice is strong & true and the grooves will get you moving. That's what it's all about. As well, they do change the pace a couple times, and even the rest of the tunes each have a great sense of identity behind the beat. The 14 songs in fact play like they would at the dance club, speeding up and slowing down at regular intervals. Right in the middle, they handle the one cover on the disc - that of Depeche Mode's 'Fly On The Wall' - and although it's almost identical to the original, Halovox comes out slightly ahead with a punchier version.
Throughout, Frank's voice is branding these songs, just as groups like Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys have done in the past. We haven't had a group like them for a while. A little more musical experimentation and Halovox could creep into the void.
Contact: Info Website: Halovox
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