Jesus H. Foxx “Endless Knocking”

Song, by Toad Records 2012

An intriguing barrage of rhythms that lack a little connection

• Presented inside a very grey album cover and with a band name that suggests little, it is tricky to assume what to expect from ‘Endless Knocking’. Indeed, even upon listening through these 11 songs, the listener is left with a curious sense of bewilderment.

• ‘Endless Knocking’ is an intriguing, yet confusing record. Based around the unassuming, almost spoken vocals of singer Michael Hunter, Jesus H. Foxx’s music sprints around in all kinds of directions. Repetitive rhythms race into one style before slowing and altering abruptly to become something entirely different, and then completely changing again, all within individual songs. At times this dynamic leads to wonderful things.

  The odd repeating vocals and guitar of ‘So The Wind Won’t…’ mix with beautifully lush strings to provide a basis for a song which starts as a frantic rhythm, before slowing into glorious harmonies, and ending with a final blast of instruments being bashed. However, as the record progresses, the erratic nature of the music starts to become it’s undoing. Faced by such a barrage of changing rhythms, the listener begins to lose a bit of interest. There is little to connect to during these songs, with Hunter’s voice being the only real constant, and that itself becomes a little bland over time. ‘Endless Knocking’ is an ambitious and at times fascinating record, which is only at fault of trying to achieve too much, in too little space of time.