Foxy Shazam is a retro-glam rock style group from Cinci. It's more of a send up than say, The Darkness, who I would say recreated a sound in a serious attempt to bring it back. Foxy is not a joke band, but they clearly have a sense of humor about themselves. For example, while several of the tracks are straight ahead rock tunes, a horn section plays prominently, and even takes solos. Rock tune, trumpet solo. Funny.
Most of the songs have that big rock anthem feel to them. The back-up singers come out in full force to make the chorus huge. A pseudo-ballad in the middle, "Forever Together" plays with the classic styling a little bit with fast paced mush mouth vocal delivery that could very well be a drunk cousin of the Barenaked Ladies. Another straight up Queen knock off "(It's) Too Late Baby" keeps it together even down to the Brian-May-homemade guitar tone. But are the parenthsis really necessasry?
When they stray from the comfort zone, I think they falter. "Wasted Feelings" is nothing better than a bullshit pop-crossover attempt. Unnecessary auto-drums and a lilty voice about a break-up. "The Streets" too tries to overcompensate with some gospel overtones. It's lyrical expression of "coming from the streets" would actually be cool, except they repeat the chorus too much to keep it from sounding redendant.
Overall, it's a decent record. The concern that the band has to have is that a band who takes itself so lightly will also attract fans who will never be serious about you. A tightened-up songwriting team would be beneficial. (3 of 5 stars)
There's a good handful of us that are ultra-excited like a large-hearted boy to hear some new GBV. Sure, maybe most of it amounts to little more than another Bob Pollard solo record, but he's generally been good in the past about keeping his more avant garde experiments for side projects and keeping the truer-to-form rock for the New Who. And GBV have, even with that, still been a little hit and miss at times. I mean, when you put 24 songs on a record, each listener is simply not going to connect with each one. The new one's not so different. Already seeing some great song titles. So, how does it sound?
Well, it did take me to track five before I connected with anything. And it just so happens that the song, "Hang Mr. Kite" is the most un-GBV like song in their catalog. Short, but orchestrated with a string ensemble, it resembles REM more than anything else. Departure that works? Check. This is toyed with again in side two as "Old Bones" takes an organ-synth sound with vocal echo to make a Auld Lang Syne rip-off that applies to anyone who's youth has passed them.
A couple more quality tracks, "God Loves Us" and the single "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" pass by until what is probably the weakest track on the album comes across. The psychedelic dream-pop Nico-throwaway "Who Invented The Sun" surely won't be on anyone's top 10 lists. GBV continue this psychedelic scene with a few more that aren't half bad. The slow-Hendrixy blues of "The Big Hat and Toy Show" and thunderpussy "Imperial Racehorsing".
"How I Met My Mother", "Waves". These are worthy of classic GBV groupings, but I'm finding myself more in love with the oddly experimental tracks. "Either Nelson" is driven by a piano riff, but clearly either by post-production delays or by perfectly sloppy jamming, everyone is half-a beat off from each other. A mess of noise that drives the album better than the more straightforward rock tracks.
I wouldn't call this return "stellar" by any means. But it's a quality album with just as many memorable tracks that you'd find on Isolation Drills. (3.5 of 5 stars)
Trying to recreate classic songs is going to be hard for anyone. You usually end up using modern technology and professional musicians. The end result too often come out sounding sterile and practised when the reason we loved these songs in the first place was because of their guttural instinct sloppiness.
Having said that, I'm pleased to report that the Willies mostly get it right. It's not overproduced nor too polished. Having a vocalist as awesome as Norah Jones in your band could actually be a detriment in this kind of group. But when she gets mellow, she's downright sultry. See the opening track, Ralph Stanley's "I Worship You" and Kris Kristofferson's title track. When she's upbeat, "Fist City", she may lack the sass of a Loretta Lynn, but has more of a Dolly Parton playfulness.
"Lovesick Blues" is a version I could have done without. Maybe I'm just too close to the previous versions. Hank's original and Ryan Adams' excellent cover, but the tandem lead vocals don't work some heart is lost. Also, "Jolene". After hearing Jack White turn it into a bi-curious garage jam, it's hard to hear Norah bring it back down again. On the other hand, the cover of Willie's "Permanently Lonely" is on the money. Sweet, short and sentimental.
Mostly though, the criticisms I have are my own prejudice. I simply don't listen to a lot of country music of any era. I can praise the Little Willies for being true to the form and the sentiment, even if it won't be burning up my playlist in general. (3.5 of 5 stars)
It's difficult to commit yourself to such a lofty goal as listening to a new album every week. Especially in weeks like this, where only three new releases exist and you only have access to one of them. And that one is a Norwegian black metal album called "Goat Carcass Rising". What am I doing with my life?
Altogether though, I honestly don't have much negativity to say about this record. It's real simple. Whereas others in the genre might try to employ some vast instrumentation and dark forboding tones, Vesen keep together some simple old-school thrash riffs and little more. I'm going to bet that they're not masters of the English language, because when they grab a phrase they like, like "Mindfield Paranoia", they simply repeat it a lot.
Sometimes its even fun. "Spotlight Junkie" for example is just a repetition of the phrase "Whores on parade!" However, I still wouldn't call it a great record- even if you do like gravelly barkers and thrashy guitar rock. There are plenty of better metal records out there. (1.5 of 5 stars)
Foxy Shazam is a retro-glam rock style group from Cinci. It's more of a send up than say, The Darkness, who I would say recreated a sound in a serious attempt to bring it back. Foxy is not a joke band, but they clearly have a sense of humor about themselves. For example, while several of the tracks are straight ahead rock tunes, a horn section plays prominently, and even takes solos. Rock tune, trumpet solo. Funny.
