[rating=7.00]
With 2012’s Take the Kids Off Broadway, Foxygen made a bold statement with a debut album that was delightfully quirky while unabashedly derivative. The ambitious release was equal parts a genuine album and a fun game of Spot the Influence. The album was original in its ability to meld so many different musical styles, shifting genres repeatedly and sometimes even within the same song. The next year, they released the equally trippy We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, a genre-hopping psychedelic kaleidoscope that scored the band a lot of buzz and a few indie hits.
After that largely successful experiment in musical excess, the California duo does what should probably have been expected – they released a double album, because who can fit that kind of a hodgepodge of musical salutes onto a single disc? Their third album, …And Star Power, is a retro rock showcase with enough hooks to fill three discs, but don’t give them any ideas. For better or worse, this time the band comes off a little more sane. The myriad influences are still there, but in most cases they come across more naturally, rather than the tracks darting off in any direction at random.
“Star Power Airlines” begins the album with rumbling distortion and manic drum rolls before abruptly transitioning into the mellow retro rock single “How Can You Really.” Frontman Sam France croons about a one-sided relationship over uplifting piano chords and horns. “How can you really love somebody who can’t love you,” he asks before suggesting “how about you go find somebody who can love you?” Another soft song eases the listener into a false sense of security before “Cosmic Vibrations” bludgeons the eardrums with a startling cacophony that then eases back into comfortable lazy lo-fi.
Most of the album remains in that hazy Velvet Underground-esque mood, though there are enough hooks to break up the drone. The most insane trademark Foxygen moments come in the four-part “Star Power” suite. Part I, “Overture,” sounds like a psychedelic take on music from a Caribbean cruise. “Star Power II: Star Power Night” is one of the album’s loudest songs, Jonathan Rado’s guitar a grimy garage fuzz. That abruptly leads into “Star Power III: What Are We Good For,” which alternates between fast rock, a deliberate rhythm featuring Lou Reed-style non sequitur speaking, and upbeat sing-along pop. Finishing out the four-part song is the aptly titled “Star Power IV: Ooh Ooh,” which takes its cues from Motown.
…And Star Power uses guest appearances throughout the album, whether it’s Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes doing his best Lou Reed impression, the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne singing like himself, or France impersonating lots of people (mostly Mick Jagger). Though some of the album is unnecessary – most of the second disc is noise – there are enough great songs and standout moments to make …And Star Power a compelling addition to the maddeningly indulgent Foxygen oeuvre.
