(Image courtesy of Jagjaguwar)When Foxygen announced that fans could download its new album “…And Star Power” two weeks before its release on Oct. 14 by pre-ordering the vinyl, I hopped online immediately to purchase my copy. The band played an amazing set at the Crescent Ballroom on Sept. 24, and I wanted access to new tunes as soon as possible.
Soon after the release of its 2013 LP, “We are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic,” Foxygen became one of my favorite bands. After a retrospective listen to 2012’s “Take the Kids off Broadway,” I decided few modern bands were more impressive. Rejuvenating the sounds of The Rolling Stones, The Doors and The Velvet Underground, Foxygen brought something both new and old to the table of psychedelic music, flower power with a modern twist.
With “…And Star Power,” the band seems to be moving out of the 1960s San Francisco music scene, and into ‘70s easy listening and punk. Naming influences like Todd Rundgren, Fleetwood Mac and The Stooges, Foxygen prepared fans for an eccentric concept double album on which the band, Foxygen, is overpowered by an alter ego, Star Power.
The album begins with “Side One, Part One: The Hits; What’s the Hook?” full of songs that are easy going, catchy grooves. After a short intro, the album kicks into lead single, “How Can You Really?” a bouncy, organ-driven tune reminiscent of Rundgren’s “I Saw the Light.”
My personal favorite from this side of the album, “You & I,” is a slow track that asks the question, “If you don’t love me anymore / How come you never say it to my face?” The song then breaks into an outro where lead singer Sam France asks, “Why doesn’t anybody help me? / Why doesn’t anybody care?” the song has a deserted feeling oddly contrasted by the repeated line, “You and I will always be here in love.”
We then move into “Side One, Part Two: Star Power Suite” on which the influence of the Velvet Underground still feels heavy. “Star Power III: What Are We Good For?” sounds like it is sung by Lou Reed himself. “Star Power IV: Ooh Ooh” closes out the first side of the record with an intro straight off of Rundgren’s “It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference.” The song leaves an eerie feeling behind as it fades into silence.
“Side Two: The Paranoid Side” brings that feeling to the forefront of the album. “I Don’t Have Anything/The Gate” increases the sense of loneliness, and it becomes a highlight of the record. “Mattress Warehouse” kicks in right after on a more upbeat note, preparing the listener for space rock jams “Flowers” and “Wally’s Farm.” The side closes with “Cannibal Holocaust,” which warns “Stop telling me lies,” but closes with a tune tying back to “How Can You Really?” showing hope for Foxygen in its battle with Star Power.
The next pile of songs is titled “Side Three: Scream, A Journey Through Hell.” This is when Star Power takes over. Full of odd Punk songs, side three shows a part of Foxygen no one has seen before. “Can’t Contextualize My Mind” feels like a trip of uppers and downers pulling listeners through the scratchy guitar riffs, while “Freedom II” and “Talk” seem like eight minutes of a meltdown. The whole album becomes really chaotic in this group of songs.
Then, we get an abrupt change: “Side Four: Hang on to Love.” The album’s longest track, “Everyone Needs Love” reminds us that we need to “hang on” and hope everything will be OK because, in the end, we all need love. It’s an oddly sentimental message after the darkness of the third side. “Hang,” the closing song, puts a cap on the album, making it one of the best releases of 2014 thus far.
I would recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of music. “…And Star Power’s” 82-minute runtime makes it the band's most enjoyable album.
Reach the reporter at wruof@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @willruof
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