Exohxo

Straight outta Seattle, Exohxo has something new to add to an already crowded scene (pop music): they’ve taken a sort of “left-hand turn” at the fork in the road between “same old stuff” and “renovated, spliced together genres” then, put them in a blender and out poured The Ghost is Clear: it is what Paul Constant described in writing: “Exohxo are a chamber-pop [italics mine] band you should know about; they’re experts at combining orchestral strings, forceful guitars and poppy melodies into something at once catchy and erudite.”

Hmm…well, now. I actually didn’t find that quote until after I’d already started listening to this very unorthodox, smart and skilled album. Being only six songs on it that add up to about 21 minutes, I suppose The Ghost is Clear would be labeled an “EP” – but what a tight-knit, smooth batch of mostly three-minute long tunes it is.

I kept mulling over that description Mr. Constant gave them: a “chamber-pop band”…I suppose the “chamber” part of it would be from the strings that are a big part of their sound and which can possibly mess with one’s mind, if they’re not ready for their pop mixed w/violins and cellos. But for those extraordinarily brave and forward-looking listeners, to whom experimentation and mixing things up for the sake of said is a quite beautiful thing, Exohxo is a force for good.

That said, let me take you through the songs on The Ghost is Clear: first, you have the opening cut, “Past Lives”, which starts off with a blissful hum of what sounds like a Hammond organ (?) -or a facsimile of one. Not only an organ, of course, but a groovy guitar that’s strumming away with a jingle-jangle and a straight-ahead groove. After the first verse the strings sneak in and, well, no, they don’t dominate it, but they do kind of take one’s ears off the guitar but they don’t clash at all or seem to interrupt; they just kind of meld into the tune. “Parting Shots” is a slowed-down, mellowly-strummed guitar hand-in-glove w/a violin (viola?) and a bit in, there’s a keyboard that first is like a piano-like sound, which later pops up in the form of that great organ again. Also, about the last 1/3 or so, into it, “Parting Shots” speeds up and works up to a great denouement, then reaches its end. “Up to Me” goes in a bit of an “Emo” direction.

Just as you’re thinking this is some sort of touchstone, though, the next tune shoves that thought over a cliff: “Same as Always”, staying with the “strings”, a detour, of sorts, like if you’re flying from, oh, maybe, Cleveland to some place west: maybe Los Angeles or Phoenix or Denver, and, since you wanted to save a few bucks, you got ticket for a flight that has a stopover in Nashville, TN. That’s a good musical metaphor for “Same as Always”: they stopover, have a few hours to kill, so they take a shower in some molasses & cider themed country music, with a side order of folk. Instead of the lush rains of string quartet-ish strings, we get a jugful of fiddle and an acoustic guitar which is happily picking up the rhythm and a slick rhythm- drummer’s using brushes on the snare. Cool.

The Penultimate cut on The Ghost is Clear is “You Can’t Know”, a somewhat melancholy, more guitar-driven (up to the last quarter of it, when just before they kick into the last verse, the violin and guitar work together to really light it up). There’s a bit of reflection to it, maybe some introspection. I’m only interpreting here, but, what I hear is a possibly heartbroken guy’s trying to “fake it”, like “I’m all right, nothing wrong here”, but -“hey, who does he think he’s kidding?”, the band seems to be saying. Of course, that’s just one guy’s interpretation, so don’t quote me (well OK, you can quote me, but don’t use it against me, all right?).

Then, when we get to the last cut; the finale, “Trains that Look Like Towns” is an upbeat tune, kind of like, “We’re happy! We made it to L.A./Phoenix/Denver (Portland, OR?)” Even though the song is about Trains (that look like towns), it’s still kind of a “travel-themed” song, so there’s that angle to it…And, while getting there is “half the fun” as they say, arriving is the “other half” and, it sure feels refreshing to get off that plane -or train-in which you’ve been enclosed for the past few hours (or was it days?)

The “big picture” is that Exohxo, comprised of Danny Oleson on bass, vocals and violin; Jasen Samford, who plays guitar, sings and adds some percussion; Romi Dougherty on violin; Bill Nordwall, the keyboardist who plays piano and organ and Bob Zammit on the drums, does, indeed, have a “chamber-pop” sound. But, just calling it “pop” is short-changing their qualities, as they are far more than a mere “pop” band – strings or no. They have imagination, they’re not afraid to experiment, mix things up and do things their way and not the way that some guy(s) in a suit tell them to do it. Kudos to them for that! -KM. - Independent Review

Picture early Yellowcard: “Ocean Avenue” and “Way Away.” My fellow ‘90s kids know the picture well–the pop-punk sound infused with a violin, which they used as if it was another electric guitar. Exohxo’s latest EP The Ghost is Clear is along a similar violin-heavy pop-punk vein, yet contains a higher level of maturity. The EP’s sound is like Yellowcard all grown up (similar to when Rugrats became “All Grown Up,” but with fewer disappointments).

Seattle-based chamber rock band Exohxo’s The Ghost is Clear collects six diverse tracks that provide different combinations of chamber pop and pop-punk, with a little bit of jazz and bluegrass flavor thrown in. The Ghost is Clear will feel nostalgic at times and in the very same track feel completely new and unique.

Throughout the album, Exohxo uses the violin to accomplish an array of sounds. The combination of the violin, driving and jazzy organ makes opener “Past Lives” a feel-good summer song. Here, Exohxo uses the violin much like early Yellowcard did, in a fairly punk rock kind of way, driving the song. In “Parting Shots,” the violin adds theatrics to the track; in “Same As Always,” the violin becomes a fiddle and surprisingly takes on some bluegrass flavor. And in “You Can’t Know,” the introduction of the violin throws off the rock vibe and halfway through takes over the song by adding much more of a chamber orchestra feel to the track.

The vocals found in The Ghost is Clear also combine two worlds: the pop-punk and the theatrical. In tracks like “Trains That Look Like Towns,” the vocal aspect of the song sounds like it could come right out of a musical–picture the voice of fun.’s lead singer Nate Ruess. Yet in other songs, the vocals sound more like they came off of a pop-punk album–slightly emotional and crisp, so you can hear every sardonically hopeful lyric (“Past Lives,” “Parting Shots”). In the second verse of “Parting Shots,” the introduction of a second vocalist adds harmonization that sounds distinctly pop-punk.

Exohxo’s The Ghost is Clear is a mashup of musical worlds. The unique combination of typical rock instruments with the violin and organ spice up each track in a different way. By combining instrumental diversity with theatrical pop-punk vocals and introspective yet hopeful lyrics, The Ghost is Clear is a remarkable adventure you won’t want to miss. —Krisann Janowitz - http://independentclauses.com/

Exohxo are a chamber-pop band you should know about; they're experts at combining orchestral strings, forceful guitars, and poppy melodies into something at once catchy and erudite. - The Stranger

Seattle’s Exohxo does chamber pop with a special emphasis on “chamber.” It’s becoming relatively more common for groups to include strings or pianos in their lineup, throwing in a violin flourish here and there for texture. Exohxo takes this a step further with finely crafted arrangements that feel as important as its jangly guitars and earnest vocals. It’s a sanguine mashup of classical and indie pop without pandering to either demographic. Every moving part feels intentional and complementary, rather than being placed for novelty’s sake. - Seattle Weekly

Exohxo (pronounced ex-oh-ex-oh), is a new side project put together by Danny Oleson and Jasen Samford of Speaker Speaker. Their songs are warm pop symphonies with strings, piano, and bright harmonies. Sometimes they're tender ("An Honest Living"), sometimes they're bright and invigorating ("Crushed Ice"). - The Stranger