CD Review: ‘On Your House’ by POX
Reviewer: Andrew Bennett

Release date 19/03/2007 on heavenhotel


Mark Meyers has long been the mystery man of the Belgian music scene. Meyers was a founding member of an early incarnation of dEUS but is perhaps most remembered for his tenure with the legendary Kiss My Jazz. Now Mark returns with his very own band Pox.
Joined on guitar by the legend that is Rudy Trouve famous for his involvement with a list of bands that include dEUS, Kiss My Jazz, The Love Substitutes, Gore Slut, Dead Man Ray, I Hate Camera. Mark and Rudy are joined by Van De Camp on keyboards and Jurgen Leclercq on bass. Banging the drums is Dirk De Hughe.

On Your House is a dark, introverted record that sounds great at a barbeque or late at night with a glass of wine or several. The first song ‘Waiting ‘til You’re Gone’ might sound familiar to some listeners. That is because it is. A cover of this Meyers song originally appeared on Zita Swoon’s ‘Every Day I Wear A Greasy Black Feather On My Hat’ album back in 1995 when they were still known as Moondog Jr. It’s a brooding and intense start to a brooding and intense album. The breaks come off a little with second song ‘Stay’ which is built on a repetitive and hypnotic riff and simplistic drums that illustrate the influence of Craig Ward’s time behind the drums. Ward (dEUS, Kiss My Jazz, The Love Substitutes also provided additional overdubs to the album and co-produced it with Trouve. ‘Crying Now’ is a piano ballad led by a twisted Rudy lead and Meyers’ unique whisper/scream vocals on the chorus. Comparisons can be drawn with the more recent Sonic Youth albums and the self titled Velvet Underground record but the Pox sound is one that is all its own and nobody has the same voice as Mark Meyers. A truly unique sorrowful howl that is hard to compare except for perhaps Tom Waits with a crate of lozenges. It’s a truly great thing that whatever demons do or don’t drive Mr Meyers have allowed him to make what stands as his definitive statement.

The real charm of this record is the subtle approach with the occasional explosion, you can cut the tension created with a knife. On Your House is an exercise is subtlety and restraint. The band play with a cohesion throughout that is warm and instinctive but always puts the songs first. Trouve’s guitar playing throughout is low key with occasional stabs of noise that can only belong to one man.

Pox’s debut album is an embarrassment of riches that you really would be a fool to miss out on and it’s certainly one you will tell your friends about.
 

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