Review Summary: The soundtrack to every insignificantly sad and fleeting night of your youthful years.
There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding Foxing’s debut
The Albatross. This is strange considering that the band has very little to back up all this hype, because at the end of the day
Old Songs was a pretty lukewarm batch of tunes on a label that with a sketchy track record. In spite of it all
The Albatross isn’t just good, it’s
damn good. Full of standard emo tropes like those that ***ing litter Count Your Lucky Stars, the record is a pretty little love letter to fans of understated underdog indie. More discerning ears can hear Dads, The World is…., and empire! empire! everywhere. It’s light and fluffy, featuring all the makings of an early 2000s emo hit with all the charming juvenile ennui included. Loopy, twinkly guitars play over distant vocals that are messily scattered about, all wrapped up in a dreamy haze. By the time “Rory” kicks in halfway through the listener has already become accustomed to the hollering and fuzzy production. Yet the listless woodwinds and piano still offer up something new and appetizing in said track. Moments like this make
The Albatross feel equal parts familiar and exciting. There’s nothing new to their sound, and that’s fine, but there’s something inherently engaging none the less.
Foxing sound entirely genuine. They sound like the band down the street playing in their garage to no one in particular. They sound like every sad night spent thinking too much about everyone and everything. Sure their girl troubles sound trite as does their overly dramatic delivery, but the lack of verse-chorus lyrics gives the entire record a very confessional, story-telling feel. But when all is said and done
The Albatross sounds more real and more heartfelt than anything you’ll hear this year.
3.8/5
