Univox

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All Music Guide says:
You don't hear actual four-part harmony an awful lot in pop music these days, not since the heyday of doo wop. You especially don't hear four-part harmony in punk-edged indie rock, so Univox's debut is pretty startling on a number of levels. If it all adds up to a welter of great ideas and sporadically great delivery, that's par for the course -- it's what makes a debut album exciting: hearing the skill and talent and also recognizing hints of the promise that remains to be realized. The album's opening track finds Univox working in an explicitly old-school punk mode, with lead vocals that whinny at the ends of phrases just like Johnny Rotten's used to. But then things get complicated: several tunes, notably "Everybody Knows" and the shambling 6/8 number "Cannonball," bring to mind the Mekons with their cowpunky flavor, others, notably the wonderfully jangly "Lever Master City," evoke the Clas circa London Calling. But none of this prepares you for the deeply bizarre but very fun a cappella song "All This Blood Came from My Heart" or the equally bizarre but somewhat less fun "Bright Lady Light." "Conan" (a tribute to the famous Barbarian) is brilliantly raving pop-punk, while "Mind Traveler's Song" is raw and surf-inflected. The album ends with something of a whimper ("Nobody's That Smart" is structurally ambitious but ultimately fails to cohere) but is a solidly respectable first effort overall.
Baby Sue says:
Hard-hitting aggressive underground pop/rock. Univox is the four man band comprised of Joseph Bonaventura III, Rob DeCarolis, Kent Boersma, and Josh Jones. Usually bands draw inspiration from one genre or decade...but these guys have a sound that seems to draw upon artists all the way from the 1970s right on to the present. Some of the tracks are all-out rock while others are interesting takes on a more classic pop/rock sound. Interestingly, all four band members sing lead...while gives this album a more multi-dimensional sound. Some of these songs are surprisingly complex in terms of vocal melodies and arrangements. Hard to say whether or not these guys' intent is to avoid being pigeonholed...but on this album they have succeeded in doing so. Modern classic cuts include "Pi," "Lever Master City," "Cannonball," "Conan," and "Nobody's That Smart." Cool music with a different sort of kick. TOP PICK.
About Univox
Univox combine 70's underground sensibilities with Motown and punk influences to craft catchy compelling songs. At first blush you may believe you are listening to a great indie-pop outfit. You would be right, but only somewhat. Citing masters such as The Kinks, Four Tops and David Bowie as their primary influences, Josh Jones, Joe Bonaventura III, Rob DeCarolis and Kent Boersma create moody sonic pop songs that alternate between perfectly catchy indie-pop and subtle, grand auditory gestures. With as much Mark E. Smith as Bryan Ferry, Josh Jones croons his way through a series of very abstruse lyrical sketches. With discernable hints of The Stooges and New Order, the surprises are dramatic and the music is refreshingly... well, fresh. With gorgeously woozy vocals laced with tight doo-wop harmonies and layered over sharp abrasive guitar hooks, these rollickin' numbers effectively strip down any preconceptions of what pop music should be. Univox's debut album is a memorable testament to their prowess and musical muscle. This is a freshman album with as much punk bite as pop bark- but the bark is pretty vicious too.
"What would it sound like if The Kinks covered Wire's Pink Flag?"
- Philadelphia City Paper