EP Review by Erin Winter
I have known Alex Foss for a few years now and have always been eager for him to release some material. After watching him perform live alongside other musicians in different lineups and listening to any musical ideas he had, I knew he would pursue his talent further.
The two-track EP focuses closely on the theme of life in a more rural area and how to overcome the isolated thoughts this creates. The songs greatly portray the struggles and real feeling of an up and coming musician. They have a genuine vibe throughout showing passion coming from the heart.
Small Town Fever
The first of the two tracks. This song definitely does what it says on the tin. The raw energy flowing throughout this song renders the emotion put into the writing process and lyrical content of the song.
I caught up with Alex and had a chat about the tunes and found what he said about his writing process of 'Small Town Fever' admirable and feel as though it shows further the real struggles within creativity and motivation.
"When I wrote ‘Small Town Fever’ (STF) I was working nights in a bar and never really saw the light of day and would get pissed after every shift. I never really had the energy to be creative or meet people, until I got so sick the song just erupted out of me in a fit of frustration."
Overall the song displays a great use of Alex's influence coming from Foo Fighters as the drums and guitar through the chorus drive a powerful, heavy attitude fitting extremely well with the theme of the song. The tightness of the musical aspect of the structure is substantial throughout, with a great use of dynamics, drop outs and fills across all the instruments; The band really help create the feel Alex had desired when writing these songs.
Townmouse
The second track 'Townmouse' has a dark aura to it mainly stemming from the sombre lyrics and voice style giving off a British new-wave vibe. Although the song deems a simplistic structure, it holds so many interesting sounds for the listener throughout the instrumental and lyrical content of the song. The elongated vocal notes and harmonic vocal lines create a representation of the disdain felt from negative emotions within love.
When speaking with Alex he told me, "Townmouse is about love, the lack there of, misunderstanding and healing", and I feel the song tells the story of that perfectly. The song was heavily inspired by 'American Indie' bands but definitely implies it's own unique style and image.
Instrumentally, this song has it all; The bass and guitar compliment each other so well without over complicating anything, but still stay interesting and intriguing. The drums present themselves as distant but use dynamics and power as an extremely fitting way to keep the darker feel throughout.
Figure Of Nine
The band have been working tirelessly for some time to get the EP to a full level and that they have definitely done. The two track EP will be available on all streaming services as of Friday 9th September. Make sure to keep your eyes and ears alert to this up and coming band as I, for one, feel they definitely have more greatness to follow.