“Roll the Dice“
from the album Strugglers
2008
iTunes
What would happen if you took the pop rock magic of The Strokes, added the thin, reedy voice of Thom Yorke of Radiohead, and topped it off with lyrics steeped in political overtones?
Answer: You would have Koufax, a band that takes its name from enigmatic ex-Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax. Formed in 2000 out of the ashes of several bands, Koufax’s line-up has changed with each passing album. The only constant member has been lead singer/songwriter, Robert Suchan.
Synthesizers and pianos ran amuck on their debut album, It Had to Do With Love, leading to a monotonous sound and mixed reviews. The band took the hint. Starting with 2002’s Social Life, guitars, drums, and bass began to figure more into Koufax’s songs. With Hard Times Are in Fashion, they fine-tuned their sound further to encompass elements of rock, blues, and political ballads.
Koufax’s latest album, Strugglers, picks up where Hard Times left off, spinning out more songs dealing with war, freedom (or the lack thereof), and our flailing economy. The band dials the fear and paranoia up here, making Hard Times look pleasant by comparison. The sense of discomfort can be credited to a few things.
First, Strugglers is replete with songs that rock more than anything else the band has done before. Second, Suchan’s nasal voice set one on edge. And no wonder since he’s singing about things that come straight from living in America today. The band also adds horns to their arsenal of instruments. On opening track “Any Moment Now,” the horns wail and wheeze, creating a wall of sound that reminds me of the times in my life I’ve felt naesous or queasy.
The horns create a feeling of impending doom, of walls closing in on you. The horns capture the agony, fear, and uncertainty of living in America after 9/11 and the decline of the once muscular economy of the late ’90s. Koufax unveil the horns on only a few tracks, which is unfortunate since they fit perfectly with the album’s blistering look at America.
With this album, the band continues to diminish the role synthesizers and pianos play in their songs. On “Drivers” and “What I’m Saying,” synthesizers take a backseat to guitars and drums. That’s not to say the synths are pushed to the back of the line. Learning from the mistake they made on their debut, the band exercises more discretion over when to let the synths sing and when to let them murmur. The result is Koufax’s most well-rounded and pleasing album to date.
Simply put, Koufax’s Strugglers is “indie pop for the Police-State Generation.” The words indie pop and police-state may sound like they don’t belong in the same sentence. Just listen to the album, though, and it’ll make sense.