I am a fool! It’s been way too long for me to not have realized that the recently reunited Foxy Shazam had put out a new album in December! Burn is the first release from the band since their hiatus in 2015, and I really should have been more on top of this. The only thing I really saw anything about was a reunion show that got cancelled twice ( because, you know, pandemic) and the release of the single “Burn.” Well, better late than never I suppose! Burn was a delight to listen to all the way through, and now I really can’t wait for this pandemic to be over so I can see them live again!
The album opens with the title track and lead single, which is a fabulous reintroduction to the band. Sure, there are things that sound different, but it’s still full of punch and horns, and it got me really excited to hear the rest of it! There were really no slow tracks of this record which I think was a smart move. They’ve excelled at them in the past, but I think keeping everything with a quick tempo is the way to go for a comeback record. Boy have I missed Eric Nally’s vocals! He’s got such a unique voice, but at the same time can sound like Freddie Mercury – a true talent!
Perhaps my favorite song off the record was the closing track, “The Rose.” It seems like Nally was able to transform his voice again into something so soft and diversely melodic that I almost wasn’t sure that it was him at first! With that being said, it was still a quicker tempo song, which made me love it even more! Close on its heels were the songs “Dreamer” and “Suffering,” the latter of which reminded me of “Have the Fun” off their last record Gonzo for some reason. I mean to me that’s a win. I think the record was produced by the band again just like it was on Gonzo, but they managed to make their sound completely different this time around.
Speaking of being really different, did I mention there were two rap-esque tracks? Yeah, that was rather unexpected! Two tracks, “Never Ever” and “Into the Wild” featured lyrics and vocals from the band’s newest drummer, Teddy Aitkens. For me, these songs sounded really bizarre. I don’t dislike rap, but the lyrics were a little odd and for most of the track didn’t really go with the beat. I’ve got no problems with experimentation, and honestly I’d expect nothing less from a band like Foxy Shazam, but I do feel like those two songs were a misstep. Also, they seemed to pop up and disrupt the flow of the album for me.
Regardless of those two songs, the rest of the album was a real treat for me. If you’ve ever heard Foxy Shazam in the past I highly recommend giving their new album a listen. And as I said before, this new music has got me really excited to see them again! It’s been about seven years since I saw them last, and it was one of the most memorable shows I’ve ever attended! I look forward to making new memories with the band.