The California native duo, Foxygen, released their fifth studio album, “Hang,” on Jan. 20.
Starting out at the age of 15 in 2005, Foxygen’s Sam France and Jonathan Rado released four EPs before Jagjaguar records found them in 2011. They released their first full-length album in 2012.
The pair are known for their experimental music and berserk performances, specifically front man France’s on-stage antics.
“Hang” is nothing new for the duo. But to new listeners, the music is a wonderfully mixed psychedelic and rock twist that entices listens multiple times: Once for the music, twice for the lyrics and a third for the harmony. The album is short, only eight songs long, but it does not take long for audiences to be drawn in.
The album has an overall ‘70s-inspired vibe that, within seconds, takes listeners back to when ABBA and the BeeGee’s dominated the radio.
To start things off, “Avalon,” the second track on “Hang,” definitely draws some inspiration from ABBA’s “Waterloo.” The backing vocals sound a lot like the ‘70s hit. Even the beat sounds reminiscent of the track, but that does not mean it is an exact copy. Foxygen adds their own twist and some interesting, swing-style cords that get audiences’ feet tapping.
“Mrs. Adams” is a rock ballad filled with steady drum beats and an eccentric guitar solo. The lyrics, however, are rather depressing for such a joyous track.
Another song, “America,” starts off sounding like it could be played in a horror movie, with a slow tempo and a few measures of chilling piano chords. The track takes a quick turn to be more dreamy. With its smooth vocals, a peaceful piano, fluttering flutes and a steady bass, it puts listeners into a trance. But that trance is quickly broken by an almost baroque-style piano solo that is interrupted by drums and bass instruments quite a few times.
Once that is over the song takes another turn to a bouncy, upbeat track. The song is all over the place and does not stay within a one song spectrum. It sounds like a medley with some jazz, some ‘70s funk and some contemporary bounce songs smashed together to create one piece.
The sendoff song, “Rise Up,” brings the album to an empowering conclusion. Although it is rather slow, and a bit strange, the song closes the album with words of encouragement for the listener.
The keyboards are so uplifting and France’s voice is commanding singing lyrics like “Listen to your dreams/nobody else’s will do” and “You’ve been searching all your life/for something till you realized/that what you seek was with you all the time.” Starting off as a slower song, “Rise Up” picks up the pace with some groovy guitar riffs and smashed piano keys. However, the lyrics are highly repetitive.
Foxygen’s “Hang” is a must-listen to for any indie rock lover or someone looking for a relaxing rock album. While some of the songs are rather repetitive lyric-wise, the harmonies created by the various instruments and France’s vocals are easy to fall for.
