Foxes (UK)
All I Need

Release Date: 2016 | Tracklist

As a Whovian, I felt obligated to explore Foxes (aka Louisa Rose Allen) after her appearance on the Dr. Who episode Mummy on the Orient. Though her appearance was brief and relegated to the background, her stripped down lounge version of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" was absolutely fantastic. It honored the original while successfully reinventing itself as an energetic big-band ditty, in no small part due to Foxes vocal contribution. Her performance was sultry and whimsical all at once, compelling me to dig deeper into the singer's discography. Released in 2014, her first album Glorious was anything but; it had its charms, but unfortunately drowned out her sublime vocals -and the reason for listening - under innumerable layers of electronic pads and synths. Naturally, when Allen finally announced her sophomore effort All I Need, her description of it being a more stripped-downed, less-produced, and personal affair, was reason to be excited. It was exactly the kind of announcement fans of her voice and potential could rally behind.

In a sense, All I Need delivers on its promises; at least stylistically. Ballad "If You Leave Me Now" swoons with its lush orchestration and tempered electronic percussion, while lead single "Body Talk" juxtaposes Allen's fantastic voice against a musical setting that wouldn't sound out of place in a mid-eighties pop song. There is a definite level of restraint throughout the record, with each track being more carefully composed as to avoid the distracting commotion of Glorious. They leave an abundance of room, thankfully most of which is filled with Allen's versatile croon. In tracks like "Devil Side" an ode to troubled relationships, her inflections are perfect, soaring with a touch of grit. Bombastic opener "Better Love" and most recent single "Amazing" show Allen having a good time; the former co-written by Bastille's Dan Smith could essentially be featured on one of his albums with its marching percussion and explosive chorus, but it lends itself to her huge vocal range. "Amazing" on the other hand is just that - the perfect combination of playful synths and memorable hooks, easily making it the most worthwhilie track on the album.

The problem with All I Need is that despite the few outstanding moments, you're left with many more you won't remember. As busy as it was, Glorious definitely had stronger hooks buried underneath its sonic tangle. Even after several listens of the relatively short twelve track album, there is a surprising lack of earworms. For an album crafted to essentially be one continuous hook, this presents a huge issue. "Feet Don't Fail Me Now", "Scar", "Money" and more pass without leaving any kind of lasting impression. There's nothing offensively bad to be found here -save the obnoxious repetition of "Wicked Loves" chorus - but a lack of memorable moments is equally as detrimental to a radio-pop album. Now that she's stolen the spotlight, it seems Allen at times doesn't really know what to do with it. It leaves one to wonder if maybe she should have worked on refining her existing style before committing a complete overhaul of it.

All I Need is the type of album you don't listen to or purchase as a whole; you pick the few good tunes it has, put them on your Ipod and call it a day. Once again, the potential for Allen to achieve something truly great is here. She has the voice, and as far as songwriting she's shown that she can write a damn catchy song or three. The work she put into All I Need is obvious, but there is still some tweaking to be done. If she can make consistency a priority on her next album, it will undoubtedly be amazing.

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