Foxing can’t be accused of lacking ambition. On the road to this fourth album they’ve careened from indie to midwest emo, math-rock and post-rock, with their last two records representing big swings for classic album status that mostly connected. Here, they make the sort of statement that justifies the heavy symbolism of a mid-career self-titled LP. ‘Foxing’ is not only their most experimental work yet — it’s also their best.
Much like 2018’s ‘Nearer My God’, this album moves between emotive, quasi-ambient soundscapes and spleen-venting crescendos, sometimes in the same breath. Secret History, for example, spends its opening moments calmly enough, with vocalist Conor Murphy lamenting broken dreams before screaming atop a wall of noise.
The band’s flirtation with genres outside emo and indie-rock, meanwhile, finds more purchase here thanks to some canny sequencing.
Great care has been taken to ensure that seemingly disparate elements — such as Greyhound’s eight minute post-rock swell and the electronica-infused Cleaning — flow naturally into one another.
But the desire to engage with such a wide slate of influences does present some dangers. Despite uniformly strong songwriting, the major issue with ‘Foxing’ is the natural sag in the middle that comes with presenting nearly an hour of music diced up into 13 songs. Barking, for instance, is a perfectly serviceable ballad that’s cut adrift without a specific point of difference.
Despite that, and complaints from fans of the band’s early benchmark ‘The Albatross’ that Foxing aren’t emo anymore, ‘Foxing’ easily stands out as the pinnacle of their discography so far. All the ideas they’ve toyed with before find a home here, slotting neatly into place. As chaotic as Foxing can be, this is a beautifully structured introduction to a thrilling new era.
Foxing Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue September 17 2024 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Mil At Cannery Hall (USA)
Wed September 18 2024 - LOUISVILLE Kentucky - Zanzabar - KY (USA)
Fri September 20 2024 - DETROIT Michigan - El Club (USA)
Sat September 21 2024 - CLEVELAND Ohio - Grog Shop (USA)
Sun September 22 2024 - COLUMBUS Ohio - Newport Music Hall (USA)
Tue September 24 2024 - MILWAUKEE Wisconsin - Vivarium - Milwaukee (USA)
Wed September 25 2024 - SAINT PAUL Minnesota - Amsterdam Bar and Hall (USA)
Thu September 26 2024 - OMAHA Nebraska - Slowdown (USA)
Sat September 28 2024 - DENVER Colorado - Marquis Theater - CO (USA)
Mon September 30 2024 - SALT LAKE CITY Utah - Metro Music Hall (USA)
Tue October 01 2024 - BOISE Idaho - Olympic - Boise (USA)
Thu October 03 2024 - PORTLAND Oregon - Revolution Hall - Portland (USA)
Sat October 05 2024 - SEATTLE Washington - Crocodile (USA)
Mon October 07 2024 - SAN FRANCISCO California - THE INDEPENDENT (USA)
Tue October 08 2024 - LOS ANGELES California - Echoplex At The Echo (USA)
Thu October 10 2024 - SAN DIEGO California - Music Box - San Diego (USA)
Sat October 12 2024 - MESA Arizona - Nile Theater - AZ (USA)
Mon October 14 2024 - EL PASO Texas - Lowbrow Palace (USA)
Tue October 15 2024 - ALBUQUERQUE New Mexico - Launchpad (USA)
Thu October 17 2024 - AUSTIN Texas - Empire Garage (USA)
Fri October 18 2024 - DALLAS Texas - Granada Theater - Dallas (USA)
Sat October 19 2024 - HOUSTON Texas - Bronze Peacock At The House Of Blues - Houston (USA)
Mon October 21 2024 - ATLANTA Georgia - Variety Playhouse (USA)
Tue October 22 2024 - ORLANDO Florida - Abbey - Orlando (USA)
Thu October 24 2024 - CARRBORO North Carolina - Cat's Cradle (USA)
Fri October 25 2024 - WASHINGTON District Of Columbia - Union Stage - DC (USA)
Sat October 26 2024 - HAMDEN Connecticut - Space Ballroom (USA)
Sun October 27 2024 - CAMBRIDGE MA Massachusetts - Sinclair Music Hall (USA)
Tue October 29 2024 - NEW YORK New York - Racket - NY (USA)
Wed October 30 2024 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Brooklyn Bowl - Philadelphia (USA)
Fri November 01 2024 - CHICAGO Illinois - Outset (USA)
Sat November 02 2024 - ST LOUIS Missouri - Delmar Hall (USA)
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