Pillbox Remedy – Wasted Memories / 2005 Self / 6 Tracks /http://www.pillboxremedy.com / [email protected] / Reviewed 22 June 2005

Pillbox Remedy plays a brand of more-mature pop-punk, starting off “Wasted Memories” with a solid bit of music named “Get What You Deserve”. The entirety of “Get What You Deserve” is a track that does not follow the full-style that has lead from the Spector-created “wall of sound” so prevalent in today’s music. Beside the shortness of this EP (the six tracks all together barely break the eighteen minute mark), Pillbox Remedy has a very cohesive and coherent sound found at all points during the disc, even including the ultimate track, (an INXS cover). What is really exciting about Pillbox Remedy is the fact that the band is able, especially during this EP to simultaneously conjure up both the earliest Green Day and other nineties alternative (like Soul Asylum). The mastering and production of “Wasted Memories” is the near the level enjoyed by many a major-label album; there might be a little fuzz at the extreme ends of the music but for the most part, Pillbox Remedy knows what they are doing.

The fact that Carlos and Justin can so successfully create the brand of punk-cum-indie music that just screams Pillbox Remedy. Coming from experience, the EP does tend to get a little repetitive after a number of straight-through listens; with the aforementioned 18 minutes of runtime, this only makes sense. Whether Pillbox Remedy could come up with another ten or so tracks at this same level is the question of the day; aside from the cohesiveness of the disc (which is taken to a fault at time), listeners are left unsure at the end of this EP.

A hint to how the next disc that Pillbox Remedy will create will sound is gleaned by the fact that the band comes up with such a distinctive EP; many times, what happens when there is great individual control over the music is a consolidation of the sound to the point where there is little to no tension and increase stakes among the instruments. This tension is many times what makes a disc great, it forces the individuals playing the instruments to step up and play their best; Pillbox Remedy is able to circumvent this rule by continually manning their instruments in such a way to never do anything but the best. Check out “Wasted Memories” and keep them in mind, for their next album should be more of this same strong and innovative style of music.

Top Track: Get What You Deserve

Rating: 6.0/10