Album Review: Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic

With a name like Foxygen you know that you're going to get something a little flamboyant and lush, full of retro vibes. We Are The 21st Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic is just that – an album honing in on the sweet sounds of '60s psych-pop in a manner brought back to this day and age by Ariel Pink and MGMT's last effort. 

The pace of the record is set with opener, In The Darkness, featuring laidback, on the beat drumming and upper register vocals with a somewhat mythological feel. On Blue Mountain comes in early as the album's highlight, gradually building up as if you were going up a mountain that has everything that you want out of a band like this – from the classic church organ sound to a funk-flavoured bass and strained Mick Jagger-like vocal breakdowns. 

Lead single, Shuggie, feels as if it's the most futuristic song on a record that never passes 1979, with tight, concise drumming and even pan flute. Oh Yeah and Oh No complement each other, going from a 'screw her' attitude and a chorus that could have been the B-side to Stayin' Alive on the former, to the latter akin to analogue-recorded Flaming Lips at their saddest.

Foxygen are mining realms that have been done before on this record, but with a level of musical virtuosity that transcends it, saving it from being a crude imitation. Whilst running a little short with just nine tracks, it does leave you satisfied yet wanting more, but not yearning to move onto the next band revitalising the genre.