“Sorry man, don’t have any Foxygen. Just listen to the Stones!”
The above is an actual response that my best friend sent me after I asked him if he had any Foxygen material to share with my virgin ears. Granted, this was a few months ago, and since then I have listened to We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic repeatedly, but the comment has stuck with me. Why? Because Foxygen’s influences are so damn apparent across the board, and the Stones are the least of their worries.
Let’s make this clear: We Are… is an impressively produced album. The sounds are lush, full, and diverse. Even when songs, like the popular single “San Francisco,” are made to sound as if they were coming through an old transistor radio, the clarity of Sam France’s vocals and Jonathan Rado’s playful instrumentation shine through. It’s here, amidst the many winks and nods to ’60s psych-pop, that the duo tends to lose themselves to their influences. Is Foxygen just having some fun with us? Their latest full-length, …And Star Power, would lead you to believe otherwise.
The album’s first single, “How Can You Really,” is less of an example of what the project will sound like than it is a stepping off point for the listener’s journey on “Star Power Airlines” — the metaphorical vehicle that transports Foxygen to a dimension filled with backup singers, speedy drugs, and recycled phrases about love and loss. From there, the 82-minute double album dabbles in a dizzying array of punk, metal, soul, and whatever other genres you’re inclined to think of.
The LP succeeds in the tender moments that showcase France’s ability to craft a lofty bridge or catchy chorus, utilizing the female singers to propel the moment rather than dampen it. Songs like “Coulda Been My Love,” “Cannibal Holocaust,” and “Hang” are truly worthy efforts that fit within the album’s very loose themes of longing, but feel like the only working parts of a much less cohesive whole. “Would you let me know if I’m no good?,” France sings on “Hang,” summing up the singer’s air of indifference that plagues most of …And Star Power in a single line, leaving the consensus to the audience.
Between their constant stage banter and rumored intergroup tensions, it’s a miracle that Foxygen’s latest album even exists. It’s an instance where the ambition was grander than the effort, as plenty of interesting ideas seem left half-finished for the sake of being half-finished. It’s almost like France and Rado got stuck sitting next to a screaming baby on their spiritual airline, which is strange because you’d think they’d have control of the seating on their fictitious trip. Maybe …And Star Power will grow on me with time but, at this point, I think I’ll just listen to the Stones, man.
Review by Shea Garner. Croon and swoon with him on Twitter @sheaDUCK.
