Album Review: ‘2’ by Foxwarren

Seven years after releasing their JUNO award-nominated self-titled album, Saskatchewan band Foxwarren released their second album 2 on May 30. 

This album diverges from the band’s typical genre of folk music and dives into an experimental style. Not only is the album experimental in genre, it is also created unconventionally. Andy Shauf pieced together 2 by combining various fragments uploaded by the five bandmates in a shared folder. The band also met weekly via virtual meetings to discuss the direction of the album. Although the band was not physically together during the creation, the result is a mosaic-like album that defies genre conventions. 

Track one, “Dance,” begins with a more orchestral style, which leads smoothly into the vocals of Shauf. The lyrics may sound simple at first but they lean towards a poetic form that allows for the melody to really shine. The last seconds of the song transition into a “retro” sound as if you were listening to an old television. Right off the bat, Foxwarren shows just how different 2 is from their debut album.

The use of old film score continues into the second song on the album, titled “Sleeping.” However, track two differs from “Dance.” It takes on a hip-hop inspired sound that truly deviates from Foxwarren’s typical folk genre. Similar to the sampling of old martial arts films done by Wu-Tang, the band sampled old film dialogue which keeps in tune with the hip-hop style production. Although “Sleeping” may not be for all folk lovers, the song is admittedly a masterpiece. 

“Say It” pairs a jaunty piano track with the mellow sound of Shauf’s voice that results in a surprisingly well meshed sound. About halfway through the song, a distorted guitar is overlaid which adds wonderfully to the track. At four minutes long, “Say It” feels like one of the more fleshed out songs on the album, and yet the minutes pass in an instant. 

Track four, “Listen2me,” uses an attention grabbing dialogue sample from a film that leads into a rock and roll inspired song. The electrifying sound of “Listen2me” allows the track to really live up to its name. It is easily one of the best on the album. The theme of old film dialogue samples is continued in “QuiteAlot2,” a 30-second interlude that fits right in with the rest of the tracks. 

Foxwarren combines an orchestral sample with hip-hop drum beats in track six, “Strange.” With Shauf’s vocals, the overall impression is a psychedelic hip-hop dream. The interlude that follows, “Havana,” spans only a minute long and emphasizes the hip-hop elements used in both “Strange” and “Sleeping.”

With “Yvonne,” the band delves back into folk, balancing out the hip-hop heavy interlude. This track sticks closely to Shauf’s usual style, making it the odd one out on the album. However, this works in the bands favour as it acts as a palate-cleanser for the more experimental sound of 2, and lets fans know that they haven’t completely abandoned the folk genre. 

Song nine, “Deadhead,” brings back the lively guitar that gives the track an upbeat feeling similar to that of “Listen2me.” With a minute remaining, the song shifts to a pulsating synth and static filled organ, cementing the experimental-ness of the album. 

The last interlude in the album, “True,” continues the dreamy feeling of previous tracks. But, when compared to the rest of 2, it falls flat. “Round&Round,” sees a return of the lively guitar with sampled orchestral strings. As well as an interesting drumbeat to further blur the lines of folk and rock in a redeeming song. 

“Dress,” brings a haunting and tense moment to the album. Between the strained sounding strings, Shauf’s ominous vocals, and a flute melody, track twelve showcases the band’s talent. On track fourteen, “Serious,” the ominous feeling once more makes an appearance through the distorted vocals and slowed down drumbeat. The song ends with a horror-esque outro, solidifying the eerie quality. 

The groovy bass really shines in “Wings,” the thirteenth track, especially when backed with the danceable beat and jazzy piano. However at four minutes long the song feels slightly dragged out towards the end, but does allow for the danceability of the song to really come through.

The fifteen track album concludes with “Again&.” While it could be said that this track is a bit of a letdown when it comes to wrapping up such an impressive album, I believe it could be considered the perfect ending. With its somber sound and sudden finish, “Again&” encapsulates the feeling of an unexpected goodbye, leaving you wanting more — in a good way. 

Overall, the album is masterfully done, especially considering that the band had not been in the same room during recording. As a whole, the project has elements more apparent in the work of Darryl Kissick, which is more experimental. While the lyrics and vocals may not be the most complex, the instrumentals are the real star. They create what I would deem an unskippable album that can be listened to again and again.