SMOKEBOX

Reviews Lemonade April 2009

SMOKEBOX emerged from leftover Punkrock bandmembers of Great Unwashed and Cologne’s exceptional singer Tez originated in 2006. One might assume something big. The Music leaves you sweating out of every single pore. Prophylactically there is "Lemonade". So fasten your seatbelt and be ready for take off. Here we go! Exploding with" Boring People". Guitars smash rapidly the initial bluegrass whim. The hooklines which are excreted at high frequency and shout out for more. This desire surrenders after 3 minutes, because already with the second song "Daddy Knows Best", strumming guitars grab diligently for our attention. After a short, as well as minimalist pause the sound returns to initial structures. A highly deserved standing ovation for these 13 songs is a must, because if a second release already sounds like a hybrid of "The Fall", "Family 5", "Elliot Smith" and "XTC", it has definitely earned this recognition. The best Pop with British stamping! Triggerfish: April 2009


The album title keeps its promises. Lemonade mostly tastes quite well, as well as the second album of this quartet. After 10 years one resolved the end of predecessor's band "Great Unwashed" from Velbert, and encountered singer Tez from Cologne, the perfect missing member for Smokebox to get the plan started. On this piece of silver there is a cool mixture of relaxed punk, swing, beat and a little rock music. Songs that have to be emphasized are for example "Daddy Knows Best", which has been inspired by the mentally disturbed psychopath Austrian Fritzl. The song delivers a well-arranged pinch of creeps underlining the horror of the topic, most notably by the female voice which is used discreetly, but effectively. "Poor Boy" scores just by a nice melody and "In The Claws Of Dr. Chi" the absolutely great and cool refrain convinces. On top,"Captain’s Dinner", a brief excursion to the world of swing. The above descriptions are supposed to be helpful suggestions to listen to a perfectly second album. Just the perfect juice for the hopefully approaching summer. Mark: 2 (well) Marcel April 2009


There once was a punk rock band called :"Great Unwashed". They called it a day around 2005 and the band was history. Now three members are back with a new name and a new singer. Smokebox. A mix of old school post-punkrock and pop . In the beginning, it may sound a bit peculiar, but the well mastered piece distinguishes itself by a mixture of relaxed Indi Rock consisting of quiet parts, melodic passages and not too dauntless steps on the gas pedal. Fasten seat belt is not mandatory. but chilling in the back seat uncorking the drink and waiting for things to come. "Fuck Myself", for example, is a track on the album which could have been found on Mando Diaos' „Hurricane Bar". To define Smokebox' individual style one should listen to songs like "Please" / "Jonestown Love" & "Mary and the Sparks". Who has fallen for bands like just mentioned "Mando Diao" or, "Mother Love Bone", Smokebox' tracks like"Things We Never Get" or "In The Claws Of Dr. Chi" will definitely delight you. Winner for me is the song "Martians" which slow elements of a ballad with a energetic outstanding hookline "Lemonade" is a very good piece of independent guitar music and by far more congenial and more unused than a lot of other sounds which are overestimated and become supported in an exaggerated way. Nice thing.5/7 - Markus Bezirk 7 m. April 2009