The psychedelic-alternative duo Foxygen has turned a new leaf with their most recent album Hang. When you first listen to the album, you feel as though your parents are playing one of their old, feel-good vinyls from the `70s.
It seems as though Foxygen has cultivated Hang as an intentional response for the past hate they’ve received for paying too much tribute to their influences. The band still has yet to confirm any satirical intent, but it is definitely evident from their inclined efforts to mimic a genre.
Looking at their past albums, Foxygen really has come into their own in terms of style and look. Hang, however, reabsorbs a Bob Dylan and Billy Joel type of sound. Many view this path as redundant and devoid of originality from their past aesthetic, ironically or not. Other fans, however, find the nostalgic essence refreshing.
Hang embraces new wave, classic rock and, bizarrely, opera, giving it a much more alternative sound than previous albums. The band uses a symphony orchestra that accompanies their piano-centered rhythms and theatrical influences.
Their opener and lead single, “Follow the Leader,” starts off the record with a bright and playful feel that sounds at home on a playlist with David Bowie. The fourth track, “America,” is the most entertaining and instrumentally diverse song on the entire album. Trumpet-heavy jazz and drums blare wildly before abruptly switching to showtune piano melodies, drawing a welcome comparison to “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Inevitably, “America” only reinforces the notion that Foxygen is hesitant to come out from under the shadow of its influences.
However, not every song is a catchy hit you’ll hear on the radio. Nowadays, it seems like most artists are creating a lot of experimental tracks that juxtapose with their central sound. Songs like “Upon a Hill” and “Trauma” embody a lot of the same discontent that nudges them to back of the list.
Released on Inauguration Day, some see Hang as a social commentary. The first released track is titled, “America”, after all. If there were more specific lyrics relating back to the decline of the country, we could see how politically charged the duo is. However, the concept seems greater than the product.
Regardless, Hang reveals itself as an ambitious, musically indifferent album. I enjoy the band’s willingness to bring back soft, `70s rock. You can only appreciate the past generation’s sound through replaying their once-produced work. Foxygen is one of a select few artists today that aspire to create similar music to their influences and a previous era. That doesn’t necessitate copying or a lack of originality. Rather, Foxygen keeps a nostalgic, feel-good genre alive and makes it its own.
Contact CU Independent Arts Writer Kristin Endahl at kristin.endahl@colorado.edu.
