On Aug. 5, Jaxon released his Wildwest EP, a significant building block in the recognition of the oft unheard R&B/Rock genre. Jaxon could benefit from more hands working on his music, but his energy and ambition shine through, making this EP worth a listen.
“High Noon” is the first track on Wildwest, which begins the EP with a pretty melody and lyrics about finding love and drugs in California. “Smith & Wesson” follows with an easy, airy melody accompanied by a strong political message. Combining these two elements is not an easy feat but with a note from Bob Marley, Jaxon does so with poise.
The highlight of the album is “Wild West” which opens with an unexpected heavy guitar riff. The listener is living in Jaxon’s own version of the wild, wild west, which he envisions as sensual and inviting. This song has just the right excitement that the EP needs. The rock element of Jaxon’s sound carries over into “Red Velvet,” which is more upbeat than the previous track.
“Hennessy” is the finest example of Rock and R&B on Wildwest. The mixture of R&B vocal inflections and a steady, strumming guitar create an intriguing texture that Jaxon manipulates effectively.
Wildwest is a great introduction album for anyone who has yet to discover R&B/Rock and once Jaxon perfects his craft, he and this genre will evolve simultaneously.