English singer-songwriter Foxes has been under the radar of many since the release of her well-received debut EP and now, following the release of critical darlings including “Youth” and “Warrior” and a shared Grammy Award win with producer Zedd for their breakout hit “Clarity“, all eyes are on the talented 25-year-old beauty and her new Glorious debut album.
Foxes did not stop with her Billboard top ten dance collaboration. She quickly followed it up with the Fall Out Boy album highlight “Just One Yesterday” and two equally brilliant singles of her own, “Let Go for Tonight” and “Holding Onto Heaven“. The tracks preceded her much buzzed about debut album, which hit a minor release date setback in February. Now out for listening pleasure in May, Foxes shows her audience a darker side to her usually bright exterior.
The singles released from the effort thus far, the sorrow-filled “Youth“, the joyous, upbeat “Let Go for Tonight” and the uplifting, choir-like “Holding Onto Heaven“, are great cuts from the record, giving listeners a perfect sense of what kind of artist Foxes really is. All three tracks are soaring definitions of unique yet modern pop with a huge splash of personality and gorgeous vocals to match.
However, the singles are just the tip of the greatness the new album brings. The haunting atmosphere that the album surrounds the listener in immediately begins to roll in with “Talking To Ghosts“, the opening track of pure heartache that Foxes seems to be singing to her past lover. “White Coats” is a previously released, experimental pop track which paints a slightly darker, unstable picture when on the topic of love. It’s a message on whether or not love is really the cure or the reason for sickness.
Foxes may be known for her attention-grabbing, somber-sounding vocals, but the artist does enjoy toying with production and different genres influences on her official debut. While the title track subtlety dives into the EDM world as a thumping ballad built around a solid chorus, “Echo” feels like more of a rock creation sounding similar to “Heads Will Roll” by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
As she sings of taking the embarrassing morning walk of shame in “Night Owls Early Birds“, Foxes seems to finally let loose for once, not to be taken too seriously, on a song that could become the new weekend jam. One of the effort’s brightest moments, “Shaking Heads“, comes off as an anthem for the young and foolish as 80s-like production and chaotic drums and beats come together for a message of joy and optimism hidden underneath all the layers.
Critics came to expect many ballads from Foxes, her voice can hit any note, and on “Night Glo” she cuts back on all the background noise to really let her vocals shine. The moody, personal pop ballad is supported by a simple piano as the song embodies the somber nature of most of the album’s track list. The closing effort, “Counting the Saints“, is an epic, melodramatic number where the artist sings “love isn’t always fair, but that’s reason to be so cruel to me, hold on to what is there,”, proving to be a bittersweet end to the record.
Glorious is just that… glorious. It is a near-perfect, effortlessly pop sounding debut from the talented Foxes. Besides her top notch vocal performances, which should be commended across the reviewer board, the artist does have a unique way of hitting every chord of the listener with her solid songwriting. The album dives in and out of dark, personal material and the light and airy pop/dance affairs that show range yet remain consistent and will just make listeners smile. Foxes certainly does not disappoint with her crisp, clean and modern brand of musicality.