The fifth installment from Missouri-based, Midwestern emo act, Foxing, is their most daring and experimental album to date, leading to a cacophonous post-rock tour de force.
By Gavin Majeski
After branching out and dipping their toes into the realm of synth-pop on their 2022 record “Draw Down the Moon,” the group decided to venture into even further uncharted territory.
While the pop-oriented direction of “Draw Down the Moon” was refreshing and led to many a catchy track, the record missed the mark on what made the group’s original two records so compelling.
Unlike “Draw Down the Moon,” the singles that were released leading up to “Foxing” chose to not prioritize pop sentiments, but rather give a teaser of the chaos that would soon unfold when the entirety of the project dropped.
While Foxing’s 2024 self-titled project doesn’t necessarily return to their slower-paced, and heart-wrenching lyricism and vocal delivery, it makes up for it in spades with its pummeling drums, soaring guitar chords, and guttural screams, perfectly displayed by the second track, “Hell 99.”
We open with the most visceral vocal performance the band’s lead vocalist Conor Murphy has show listeners to date, as guitar’s warp and whine with a punchy snare progression.
“Hell 99” is a prime example that the band is more than capable of creating a song equally as catchy as one from “Draw Down the Moon” without sacrificing creative liberties to appeal to a wider audience.
On the opposite end, there is a track like “Greyhound,” which was the first single to drop in anticipation for the record and is the best example of what listeners can expect from the album.
A soothing vocal performance from Murphy, and slow-building instrumentation leads to some of the best sounding guitar work from the band. This is before the track descends into madness with a percussion display that makes the listener feel remorse for the drum kit.
Keeping listeners on the edge of their seat with what sound might come next, we have the album’s most digestible track, “Barking,” which oozes with Tame Impala inspiration.
Once listeners reach the middle of the record, they are treated with back-to-back perfection on “Looks Like Nothing” and “Gratitude.”
“Looks Like Nothing,” similarly to “Greyhound,” is a song that entices listeners with minimal elements in the opening, but progresses into a crescendo of crunchy drums and high-pitched guitars.
“Gratitude,” similarly to “Hell 99,” is another catchy and fast-paced track right out of the gate, which is the perfect juxtaposition to “Looks Like Nothing.”
Reaching the halfway point in “Gratitude” is when we receive a true tour de force in noise rock, with a glitchy, electronic breakdown that builds upon the blown-out, industrial opening elements of the track.
While the highlights of Foxing’s self-titled record outweigh the duds, where we see faults is the closing tracks inability to leave a lasting impression due to their slower pace.
With the past three records from Foxing gradually evolving, it is exciting to see what the band will do next.
Favorite Tracks: Hell 99, Spit, Greyhound, Barking, Looks Like Nothing, Gratitude
8/10