Scot Sax

Album Review

After fronting both Wanderlust and Bachelor Number One, singer/songwriter Scot Sax issued his self-titled solo debut in 2001. In many ways, it's the second Bachelor Number One record; in fact, the first two tracks were both originally released on movie soundtracks as Bachelor Number One songs. Those two songs are also going to be the most recognizable songs to casual listeners: there's "100 Girls" from the movie of the same name and the sorta-hit "I Am the Summertime," which landed on the soundtrack to the teen comedy American Pie. Listeners familiar with those tracks will have a good idea what's contained within the rest of the album: well-written, catchy pop music that doesn't quite adhere to strict conventions. What makes Scot Sax's solo debut so entertaining is that he makes fairly challenging pop music; whether it's the string-spiked "Please Disregard" or the Dylanesque ballad "Tomorrow Hurry Up," Sax rarely conforms to a basic guitar/bass/drums format. Breakbeats, guitar pop, a little hip-hop styling, and soulful acoustic ballads all make appearances, and Sax's pinched vocals can be at once heart-wrenching or confident, but are always uncommon. That's surprising since he's signed to Not Lame Records — a label that focuses entirely on the fairly classicist power pop genre — but Scot Sax's solo debut is a refreshingly curious diversion from standard guitar pop.