People keep saying the album format is dead and it’s all about singles but this is one of those albums that reminds you why the format really took off, especially in the 70s rock era. It does not feel like a collection of good songs thrown together in the logical order but more a pre-meditated journey through a story. There has been a real resurgence of rock music influenced by the 70s and 90s rock style recently. Black Foxxes seem to get the right mix to catch the attention of the fans from those eras without too much nu metal to turn it into more of a metal album, as is often the case. They find the nice mix of classic rock, ballads, anthems, power rock and just a splash of nu metal to create an engaging soundscape that will never break out of your comfort zone for too long.

The overriding themes to this album are a dream like trip through teen angst, lost love, broken dreams and occasional some more optimistic parts. If this was a movie it would start off with you finding out someone was not well, a bit emotionally disturbed, then taking you on a journey through their problems and their search for answers. With an ending that leaves you hanging on as to whether things will get better or worse for the character after the film ends. In fact there are quite a few parts to the songs on this album which would fit nicely over a Hollywood film montage.

The album kicks off with the title track ‘I’m Not Well’ starting with a few bars of a nice finger picked guitar melody rolling around followed by the addition of just the vocals, which sets the scene. The rest of the band come in with the occasional stab until halfway through the track when they really kick in. They cover many rock clichés just in this first track but if it's originality you are looking then this is probably not the band for you. This is rock, this is classic rock, standard rock but rock done really well. Everything from the arrangement of the songs and album to the production are superb and not overcooked. They have been described as “Brand new as it could be but whilst sounding completely different” and that seems a fair description.

The second track rocks up a bit with the pre-launch single ‘Husk’ before entering a rollercoaster of a ride through anthemic rock tracks and ballads that take you through a kaleidoscope of passions, emotions, dreams and anger. ‘Whatever Lets You Cope’ and ‘How We Rust’ are back-to-back dark twisted ballads that nicely build up in intensity without losing that slow song feel. Then comes one of the other pre-launch singles ‘River’ that starts with a bluesy groove and ends with a good solid minute of dreamy instrumental audio.

The rollercoaster continues with the dark and heavy ‘Maple Summer’ and the more tranquil dreamy ‘Bronte’. The album seems to take a twist here with ‘Waking Up’, like coming out of the preceding dissolutioned dream state back into reality. Whereas ‘Home’ hits you with the power rock “I’m so ignorant / I want to stay at home” hiding from the outside world track. ‘Slow Jams Forever’ has a dark obsessive feel to it but coming across as a positive obsession rather that a negative passion. The album wrapping up with the ambiguous dreamscape ‘Pines’.

It’s a good album and one that invites you to go back and listen to it again, it’s only slight flaw may be that there does not seem to be that killer track with the chorus that jumps out at you but that might be its strength. The Black Foxxes seem to be more interested in taking you on a journey with them rather than provide you with those nice easy hooks to remember.
Jonski Mason

Website: blackfoxxes.com
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