With the Internet giving life to new bands every day, it’s a challenge to find a record that cuts the crap and is simply fun. Foxygen’s “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic” is one of those rare gems. Foxygen jumps genres as often as it changes tempo, exercising shocking control for a band so fresh to the scene. Whether it’s the ’70s-era Velvet Underground romp “No Destruction” or the frolicking ease of “On Blue Mountain” that builds to a crashing finish, this record rarely gets boring. The adhesive that binds it together, though, is singer Sam France’s voice. France’s high notes lightly float, his lower register strongly booms and he knows how to let loose and actually have fun with his voice. Fans of more recent psychedelics like MGMT or of folk heroes like Bob Dylan can find solace in Foxygen. “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic,” indeed.
Review: Foxygen – “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic”
January 23, 2013