Doghouse
2005
Hard Times Are In Fashion
About This Album
Koufax pack quite a punch and swagger on their indie-tastic long-player Hard Times Are in Fashion. Searching for musical touchstones might lead one to reference Brainiac without that band's manic energy, a mixed dose of Thom Yorke's modern whine and Rufus Wainwright's gargled glee, and an almost unsettling resemblance to the Walkmen. The racket these five lads muster really does make them a dead ringer for the Walkmen, as fuzzy guitars, piano highlights, cymbal-heavy drums, and frontman Robert Suchan's crooning wail all act as perfect mimics to the Walkmen's pounding and frazzled oeuvre. It's important to ignore the way some critics have emphasized Koufax as a piano band. While Jared Rosenberg's piano is omnipresent, it isn't abused in Ben Folds Five fashion or used as an overly sappy device à la Keane or Coldplay. Instead, it's merely another instrument, sometimes battling Suchan and Ben Force's guitars point for point, other times blending deftly into the background. The album is infused with subtle political and social commentary, relating mostly to the war in Iraq, the Bush presidency, and foreigners' apparent increasing disgust with The American Way.
Track List (try tracks 1,6,8 and 9)

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