Wax on Water deal in an energetic brand of alt rock that mixes up elements of Girls Against Boys, Cooper Temple Clause and Smashing Pumpkins for a synth-heavy approach that, nevertheless, keeps the guitars front and centre. Following on from The Drip Part 1 (released back in November 2021), The Drip Part 2 sees the impressively voiced Maya Damaris (also songwriter and producer) tearing through her lyrics as guitarist Steven Blessing lays down the fuzz. It’s a strong pairing that sees both Damaris and Blessing exploring multiple genres over the course of the five tracks on offer here.
Opening with the stuttering synth of You Know When You Know, Wax On Water set out their stall with a track that sees Maya curve her versatile voice around darkwave synths as Steven unleashes some seriously chunky riffing. It’s a great opening track, destined to light up the mosh pit and produced with just enough organic grit to keep things on the right side of heavy without losing sight of the gorgeous melodies that shoot through the piece. There’s a strong Pumpkins’ vibe here (think Machina-era), and the track builds nicely over its three-and-a-half-minute runtime. In contrast, The Wrong Way is a very different track, with syncopated beats and odd shifts. It’s a good song, but it feels less polished than the opening track – more like the sort of DIY indie rock found on Org records – and while that’s not a bad thing in itself, the jump between tracks does feel a little jarring. Better is the hypnotic Dumb Me, which builds an atmosphere using toms, while Maya’s voice is sultry and intimate. A sort of dark, cinematic pop, Dumb Me is the lighter yin to You Know What You Know’s heavier Yang and it works really well, especially in the layered vocal harmonies that emerge in the second half.
The band kick out a jazzier jam on In The Shadows, Maya’s voice retaining the intimate quality of the preceding song, while Steven’s guitar coils and twists against the drums. It’s another really strong track, highlighting the potential of the band and keeping the audience guessing, even over the course of a short EP. It leaves All Over Me, a track that draws on Hole for inspiration and, if it doesn’t quite have Courtney’s unhinged presence, it’s still a powerful closer.
Overall, The Drip Part II, provides another tantalising glimpse of where Wax on Water are headed with forthcoming full-length offering The Drip, which is due to touch down in June. While there are some production elements that could be tightened, the chemistry between Maya and Steven is undeniable, and there’s a quality and freshness to the song writing that suggests the album will be more than worth the wait. In the meantime, dig into The Drip Part II- it’s well worth checking out. 7.5/10
