Foxing : Nearer My God

With their third album Nearer My God, Foxing have shirked the expectations of their existing fanbase and followed their own creative inclinations to create a record that is musically diverse, exciting and unusual in equal measure.

‘Grand Paradise’ leads with funky hip hop percussive goodness before unexpectedly raising the indie-rock stakes with an amplification that heightens the heart rate. It’s followed by the cruisy electronic beat of first single ‘Slapstick’ before giving way to an accessible rock stomp.

Where the frenetic ‘Gameshark’ channels the theatrics and intricate production of any Muse track, the more subdued ‘Crown Candy’ momentarily conjures early Coldplay. There’s a definite sense of urgency and dark panic that seems to pervade this album but even that’s dulled by moments of exuberance and beauty in tracks like ‘Lich Prince’ and ‘Lambert.’

The elasticity and eccentricity of this album makes categorising it almost impossible. With Foxing delving deeper than ever before into the post-rock experimentalism of electrifying guitar solos, classical style inclusions, morse code electronica, and bagpipes, the result is complicated, but in a good way.

Foxing have experimented with their sound, vocals and song structure on this album and as divisive as that might be, it makes for a powerful listen.

7/10

This article was first published in Beat Magazine