Over the years,
Wax Idols spanned the brash punk-pop of
No Future, the spiky post-punk of Discipline + Desire, and the full-hearted anthems of
American Tragic. With each incarnation of the band, frontwoman Hether Fortune struck a compelling balance between tough and wounded, which she retains on
Wax Idols' fourth and final album,
Happy Ending. As Fortune and company trace the arc of a woman's spiritual journey after death, they imbue their music with a philosophical outlook that doesn't sacrifice any of their emotional intensity. "It feels so good to leave this place," Fortune cries over glassy guitars on "Crashing," setting a cathartic, ecstatic mood that peaks on the shoegaze-tinged "Scream." This feeling of liberation extends to Fortune's vocals, which have never sounded better or more direct. By freeing herself of the affectations on some of
Wax Idols' previous albums, she gives herself the range to express the aspects of
Happy Ending's title to the fullest. She's furious on "Heaven Knows" and "Too Late," yearning on "Belong" and wry on the surprisingly bouncy "Mausoleum," where she sings “I've organized my grief by numbers/Would you like to come inside?” Regret gives way to acceptance as the album unfolds, and by the time "Missed Call" brings
Happy Ending to an aching close, Fortune sounds ready to move on. Just a few months after the album's release,
Wax Idols called it quits, but
Happy Ending provides a fitting and beautiful conclusion to the band's story -- and an opportunity for Fortune to take on whatever comes next on her own terms. ~ Heather Phares