PHOX

PHOX’s self-titled debut album describes a journey that listeners can relate to. The members of PHOX, a band out of Baraboo, Wisconsin write about the struggles that are common to most and the attempt to find answers. They tackle the pain of broken relationships, the tendency we have to repeat past mistakes, and the hope of recovery. The lyrics in conjunction with the calm melodies give a sense of quiet hopefulness in the face of suffering. In  the songs “Slow Motion” and “Evil,” they sing about the disillusionment that comes with damaged relationships and the disconnection that can happen between people who love each other. The pain felt in these songs is expressed eloquently, such as in “Evil” when they write,

And you're there, children crawling through your hair
Telling me that you don't want to hurt me, no
And you can spew all the bad things that've happened to you
Make it all feel more human, I see
Well I, I know that evil will find its own demise

The writer has been deeply hurt by the object of their love, and tries to learn how to deal with what has happened and find answers for why it happened. Unfortunately, the troubles that PHOX points out happening now are nothing new. They also describe how we have a tendency to repeat the mistakes of past generations. Their mistakes are ours as well. In “1936,” they write,

Her blood is our blood, too, I know
I feel all of it, too, you know
Halfway in the hour, toward the mid of the night
We met our hands despite our wicked fight
Then we will sort our way around
This awful mess that all our genes has thrown around

Their blood is our blood; their mistakes have been handed down. They point out the cycle that we go through that seems to have no end, but the last song on the album turns it in another direction. In the song “In Due Time,” they write,

In due time if I keep myself intact
I could wave to you through my window as I drive past
But I made some swift revisions
Through whiskey blurred visions
And I promise that I will never ever look back

Instead of ending on a cycle of misery that never seems to end, the lyrics take a turn towards hope. They point out that it is possible to move on, learn from mistakes, and come out on the other side better for it. We may face challenges in life, but it is possible to overcome and gain understanding.

Presentations at Calvin University

Phox + Field Report
Saturday, February 21, 2015 08:00:00 PM
Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium