Am Taxi

AM Taxi is short for American Taxi ― apparently denoting their desire to move across America towards their destination. Listening to the quintet's debut full-length though, it's unclear what, or where, their destination is. The 11-track, 40-minute album is constantly pointing outward, displaying their desire to mix '90s punk with blue-collar rock'n'roll. And for a debut, that's tolerable, as they're exploring what they want to sound like through their influences, but it definitely makes for an uneven record. "The Mistake" begins with a very groovy, bass-heavy intro and dual vocals that toss lines back and forth, but the chorus turns into an Ataris clone that shatters its promise. The verse of "Fed Up" sounds like an amp-ed melody of Billy Joel's "Dancing With Myself"; "Champagne Toast" nods at No Use For A Name; while Springsteen and Waits are heard throughout. We Don't Stand A Chance is fairly enjoyable ― the draw on their influences isn't completely negative. But their follow-up album will show to what extent they can grow and take greater ownership of what they're doing.