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Tag Archives: Foxes
A Fox at dawn
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All I Need by Foxes
I’ve never been much of a Doctor Who fan but I do sometimes find myself watching it with my girlfriend, who likes it. One of the better episodes I have seen was one called “Mummy on the Orient Express”. It was about a Mummy that was killing off passengers in a space version of the Orient Express. This was also the first time I’d heard the artist whose album I am now writing about – Foxes.
In the episode she performs a cover of Queen’s ” Don’t stop me now”. She has a knack for performing great covers, as I later discovered with her version of Pharrel’s happy, mixed with Massive Attack’s “Teardrops”.
“All I need” is the follow up to her debut album, “Glorious”. I didn’t hear the latter until it had been out for about a year and a half. But with “All I Need” I jumped straight in on the strength of that first album. And I wasn’t disappointed – I loved it immediately. There was no skipping through songs to hear the singles I was familiar with; I always listen to this album front to back.
The songs on this album sound huge. Many are unashamedly pop belters with big drums, strings and Louisa Rose Allen’s stunning vocals. Then there are some that take a step back with a slower and, dare I say, darker tone. In fact my favourite song on this album is “Devil Side” – A darker ballad about being in love with someone who has a darker, perhaps even violent, side. But that’s open to interpretation.
Run and hide, it’s gonna be bad tonight
Devils Side, track 7 from All I Need
Cause here comes your devil side
It’s gonna ruin me
It’s almost like, slow motion suicide
Watching your devil side, get between you and me
Common Themes
When you focus on the lyrics of this album, the theme comes through evidently – that of doomed love, and of loving someone that your heart says yes to, but your head is yelling no.
This is what I take from it anyway.
Burrowing a little deeper
Each song on All I Need is great, there’s no filler songs here. And the pacing across the album is just right. In one breath you’ll be hearing a catchy pop tune while in the next you’ll be hearing a stripped down piano ballad.
The opening of the album is an epic-sounding instrumental, which is later reprised on the album’s closing song.
Then we drop into “Better Love”, which starts with Louisa’s singing over simple piano, followed soon by a recurring sound from the album – a pulsing kick drum. This song, along with the following – the super-catchy single “Body Talk”, serve to give you a good idea of what to expect from Foxes – vast, layered, powerful songs.
Of course like any great artist there’s variety in this here album. As mentioned above, “Devils Side” slows things right down, as does “If You Leave Me Now” and “On My Way”.
With “On My Way” Louisa sings over piano backed with a light string arrangement and one of my favourite choruses on the album. The song is played light on the piano as she sings softly. Then the chorus drops deep and heavy as she sings:
Something I just need to learn
Every time I feel alone
I can’t keep running back to you againTurned my gold into dust
On My Way, track 12 from All I Need
Rain on me until I rust
All I do is run to you again
In Conclusion
This album has songs that would be great to get ready for a party to. Equally some others would be suited to lying in the dark, retrospectively.
If you’re looking for a modern pop album that isn’t afraid to dip into the darker side of love, then check this one out.
100 Days : Day Eight (93)
Playing through The Last of Us again. I think that this is the first game since final fantasy 7 where I’ve started it again as soon as I completed it. This time I felt more bad ass because I know the enemy patterns and what to expect when.
Listened to Foxes’ new album today. Is pretty good on first and second listen, which reminds me I still need to write up my favourite albums of 2015.
Tickets have been booked for me, Aaron and Dwayne to go see Chas and Dave in April.
Dave’s top albums of 2014
Lana Del Rey: Ultraviolence
If you were to tie me up, gag me and stick me in a remote location for the rest of my life — and I could only listen to one album again — it would be this one. Every single song on this album is golden. When you start the album, you enter into a dream-like world — a boundless world of raw emotion and energy. The album feels almost ethereal — as though you are walking in the abyss being sang to by an angel.
Stand out tracks for me include: Ultraviolence, West Coast and The Other Woman.
As an aside, I encourage you to buy the Deluxe Edition of this album – if only for the song Black Beauty. Black Beauty is one of my favourite of all of Lana’s songs. The transition from The Other Woman into Black Beauty, is one of the best song transitions I’ve ever heard.
Why Black Beauty wasn’t included on the regular album release, I have no idea.
Lorde: Pure Heroine
I first heard of Lorde when Weird Al Yankovic released his song “Foil” — a parody cover of Lorde’s “Royals”. My next taste of her music came from the Trailer for Assassin’s Creed Unity. The song was a cover of “Everybody wants to rule the world” by Tears for Fears — and is phenomenal.
Her music isn’t like anything I have really heard before — she is her own thing. Her music and stage presence are up there with all the greats. I have since listened to this, her debut album, on repeat for the past two or three months and it never tires.
Stand out songs include: Tennis Court, Royals and White Teeth Teens.
Cherlene: Cherlene (Songs from Archer)
Archer is one of my favourite TV series of recent years. Fans of the show will know that series 5 of Archer — named “Archer: Vice” — was a temporary departure form the usual back drop of fictional intelligence agency ISIS.
During “Archer: Vice” Cheryl/Carol took on the new name of Cherlene, and was pursuing a career in outlaw country music. To my surprise, the songs that were featured throughout the show were compiled into this album. And before you think it’s just going to be a gimmick album, let me tell you it is not.
This is a genuinely good country album and can be enjoyed by anybody regardless of whether they have seen the show or not.
Stand out songs include: Danger Zone (a duet with Kenny-frickin-Loggins), Cherlene’s Broken Hearts and Auto Parts, and Eastbound and Down.
Foxes: Glorious
I came across Foxes through a Google Play recommendation. At first listen it didn’t strike me as something I would enjoy. But I gave the album a chance. And I’m glad I did. Glorious is an energetic, thoroughly enjoyable, synthpop album from start to finish.
It brilliantly mixes thumping pop anthems with haunting soundscapes — all tied together by this woman’s amazing voice.
Stand out songs: Let go for tonight, Night Glo and Echo. Also if you plan on getting the Deluxe Edition you will hear a live version of Clarity, which is worth getting just for that song.
Kacey Musgraves: Same Trailer, Different Park
This album was a recommendation by Andrew Clarke, along with four other albums. This one stood out to me above the rest and has since recharged my love of country music.
Every song on this contemporary country album is a gem and I never tire of listening to it front to back. You can easily get lost in the stories and faultless melodies of Same Trailer, Different Park.
I should mention that this album was actually released in 2013. But since it’s so damn good — and I heard it first in 2014 — I decided to include it anyway.
