Foxy Fusion? The name says it all. Their music is slinky and sublime, slick and sensual, and it brings together elements of rock, jazz, soul vibes and funky moves. It’s Foxy, it’s Fusion. Never has a band been named so well.
And once you get into the album, you find yourself in a world of sublime jazz-rock instrumentals, influenced by cool West Coast 70’s vibes and referencing some great names – Steely Dan, Herbie Hancock and more recently Snarky Puppy.
The opening salvo, Seems Like Yesterday, sets things up nicely, displaying the outfit’s exquisite chops, their clever composition and, of course, their ability and talent both as individual players and as a collective. The vibe is upbeat and accessible, Durmoll, in particular, showing just how light and able to float their creations are, a testament to the band’s ability to leave enough space in the songs so that the light gets in. And such spaces also allow the listener to hear the various layers and the additional sounds, more than the sum of the instrumental parts, that pool and percolate in these gaps.
Suspended Funk is a gentle groover, soulful guitar licks and wandering brass serving the song and never adding unnecessary weight, making the track buoyant and full of life and Arabesque is, as the name suggests, shot through with eastern sonic flavours and oriental musical spice.
Certain music quarters are more than happy to write off such music as being easy listening, musak or suitable only for the lifts in department stores but that is doing it a massive disservice. Take your blinkers off and you realise that the level of musicianship, the songwriting and the execution of the music is unparalleled. And anyway, what is wrong with making music that is light, infectious, fun, joyful and accessible to many? Not everyone wants angst and revolution weighing things down, most just want something pleasing and palatable to play. And that is exactly what this is.
