Foxygen’s third full-length LP, “...And Star Power” is a deluxe, 82-minute long album that leans toward their first release “Take the Kids Off Broadway." The Californian, indie-psych rock duo comprised of Jonathan Rado and Sam France has started to go in an experimental direction in their latest release.
Foxygen stays true to their nostalgic, lo-fi vibe, garnering a '60s classic rock feel. It's characterized by the soft bass, occasional trumpets, and France’s deep and melodious vocals and overall slow moving tempos.
The album reads as a concept album, and according to the band’s label’s website, “star power is the radio station that you can hear only if you believe." It's reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Picture show meets the Rolling Stones and Of Montreal.
Many of the initial tracks like “How Can You Really," “Coulda Been My Love” and “Cosmic Vibrations” depict heartbreak and the process of falling in love. Both “How Can You Really” and “Coulda Been My Love” show the disappointment and failure of the relationship.
While “Cosmic Vibrations” and other preceding tracks show the beginning of the relationship and falling in love, the album spreads into existential, ethereal boundaries heard in “Star Power III: What Are We Good For," questioning the reason for artistic endeavors if no one is there to listen.
On some songs, the intentional ambient background sound reads more as unnecessary noise. While it allows the album to be more experimental in nature, some tracks like “Wally’s Farm” are mostly noisy and cacophonous.
“...And Star Power” sometimes sounds like it could be a space rock opera about heartbreak and epiphanies. However, the tracks toward the latter half do not seem to be cohesive to the first half of the record. Consequently, the album could have been made into two separate albums as many of the noisy, dissonant tracks like “Hot Summer” and “Cold Winter/Freedom” could have easily fit onto an EP.
Overall, Foxygen stays true to their avant-garde roots and expands their sound into more experimental territory. The songs on this album seem a little out of place at times, but the album as a whole is still satisfying.