Lechuza

Fenix TX was one of droves of circa-2000 major label bands that took their cues from punk, both of the hardcore and poppy variety, of the 1970s and 1980s. They're not the worst of the lot, but neither do they stand out from the crowd, which is quite a problem considering how much many members of this particular crowd resemble each other. There are a dozen concise songs with buzzsaw guitars and anthemically sung lyrics about the frustration and alienated joys of youth. The pace only occasionally slows down, as on the closing "El Borracho," which like many songs of this era builds from a sluggish slow spare arrangement to a crescendo. Sometimes it verges on amelodic hardcore, but at other times there are enough harmonies to make it something that major labels might actually be able to pitch to commercial radio. There are some love songs, but they're not happy ones. There are some complaints against the shallow materialistic overload of American life, but if you're in their camp philosophically, you probably won't be learning anything new.