Published on May 31, 2023
A punk rock outfit from Austin, Texas that formed during the height of the pandemic, The Oxys are quickly making a name for themselves with their filthy, gutter-driven rock’n’roll that never lacks power or recklessness.
“Liars, Betrayers & Spies” gets the listen off to an energetic start, where furious drumming from James Sheeran and melodic yet gritty singing from Phil Davis sounds right at home in the early ’80s proto-punk scene. “Motel Hell” then leads with moody organ from Jason “Ginchy” Kottwitz, as crunchy guitar and power-pop ideas enter, too, and “Whaddaya Have” swirls with some retro guitar acrobatics amid the driving rhythm section.
Side A exits with the tuneful, anthemic, punk ’n’ roll of the raw and crisp “Premeditated,” and the atmospheric, hazy “Ain’t No Life,” which builds into a thumping, charged rocker with some classic rock guitar solos.
The back half is equally great and leads with the bristling and harmonic “Rock And Roll Eyes,” which invites a sing-along immediately. “Machine Gun” then chugs with a thicker approach that’s a bit gruff, and the scrappy “Voodoo Queen” sure does benefit from Gabriel Van Asher's bouncy bass lines. The final track, “(I’m In) Crisis,” is a bit more tame, but certainly not polished, where the band’s punk template is present and appreciated.
The members of The Oxys have impressive resumes, with the members playing in bands like Dead Boys, Bulemics, Nowherebound, Sylvain Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome. It’s not surprising that their sound might remind you of legends such as Cheap Trick, New York Dolls, The Stooges or the Raspberries, and even some nostalgic hard rock riffage makes an appearance. And you sure won’t see me having a problem with any of that.