Review Summary: A short, emotional journey that takes you back to failed relationships and unrequited feelings.
'She said, "you don't love me, you just love sex"'
Such direct and powerful lines litter Foxing's debut The Albatross. They take you right back to where you were when you realised a relationship was failing; suddenly you're living your past self. Gazing across the room at a girl you have no chance with, whispering to yourself 'Why don't you love me back?'.
Foxing have managed to make ten songs as emotional as the next, all with different themes. Conor Murphy's vocals are at one moment serene and the next roaring, and on first listen they may put you off. It's hard to find a place where screamed vocals fit over clean guitars and airy synths, but the St Louis fivesome manage to find a wonderful middle ground.
No two songs sound the same on The Albatross; they all seem to have different influences, ranging from Explosions in the Sky to La Dispute. The album doesn't feel disjointed, however: songs blend into each other almost seamlessly. This flow is most noticeable between the two standout tracks of the album, The Medic and Rory. The vocal melodies in The Medic compliment the guitars and bass, almost to the extent where they wouldn't even need lyrics to add to the song. The second chorus of Rory explodes in emotion, asking the reason for Murphy's unrequited love. You find yourself looking back on your life and asking the same question, asking why your love life fell apart, why she didn't love you back.
The Albatross is short, weighing in at only 32 minutes long, but the listens meld into one another; you find yourself getting lost in the soundscapes of the post-rock influence, and before you know it, it's all over. You're suddenly forced back to the present, and realise you've only spent half an hour on what feels like a lifetime of experiences.
