While they’re making music and embracing their creativity, bands often need a release. Is there any better way to create that than getting together and running through music from bands they enjoy? For Swiss quartet Daxx & Roxane, no. Their recently released EP, DROP, pays homage to their influences while adding a flair of their own.
Following their eponymous album in 2020, DROP is intended to bridge the gap between full-length releases. What they offer is a short and sweet 15-minute trip through the Daxx & Roxane experimentation process.
In a display of large phallic energy, DROP opens with a cover of Sammy Hagar’s Heavy Metal. Fuzzy guitars from Cal Wymann and Simon Golaz feed into the warmth that can only come from “live recording”. Settled nicely into the jam session vibe, the way has been paved for Cedric Pfister to step up to the plate and swing for that classic Hagar energy. “The beast is ready to devour” flows like a hot knife through butter, Pfister’s vocals hosting a slight edge over the original.
As DROP continues so too does the experimentation with Daxx & Roxane’s own sound. Whether it be spatial sound within Heavy Metal’s salacious backing vocals or changing a song’s genre completely, as they have done with the iconic Superstition. The band “broke the lookin’ glass” Stevie Wonder held in front of them and stepped through it, bringing classic soul into bluesy rock. A staple of the band’s live set, it’s clear a lot of love and time has gone into crafting their version of this charming classic. Does it enchant the heart the way Wonder does? Not entirely. The bottom end within Pfister’s bassline is intoxicating in its own way. The harmonies at the end of the chorus draw us into singing along and the guitar solo is just too good to ignore.
The jewel in DROP’s crown comes in the shape of the surprising Delilah. Florence + The Machine is reinvented into a slow 70s rock chill track. Pfister’s ethereal story telling of Samson being tempted by titular Delilah is heady and addictive. The soft strings in the intro softly bloom into full, bending guitars, reeling us into Samson’s infatuation. What is truly addictive about Delilah is a salacious scream from Pfister into a solo which borders on scream and cream territory. Had DROP ended there, we wouldn’t have been mad at all.
Instead, Daxx & Roxane finish with Argent Trop Cher, a song by French rock band Téléphone. Originally released in 1980, Daxx & Roxane attempt to breathe new life into the track and bring it into the modern day. The danger in covering an obscure song is it may not garner much interest going in to. This was unfortunately the case. While the solo’s elements of dual guitars soothe an itch for us, the rest of the song takes a while to grow on us. This is a shame as the rest of the EP is very well done.
DROP’s four-track gives us sweet respite in the form of warm, fuzzy rock. It carries swagger and charisma which makes Daxx & Roxane a band to look out for. DROP also teases us into delving into their back catalogue to see what gems we can find. In that, Daxx & Roxane have achieved what they set out to do. For fans of the band, this is an EP which will tide them over until the next full-length. For newer listeners, this may be one to revisit after exploring the band’s original material.
DROP is available now via self-release.
For more information on Daxx & Roxane, like their official page on Facebook.
