PHOX ‘Self-Titled’

Words by Brittany Norvell

The six piece folk-indie band, PHOX, dropped their self titled debut album late last month, and the result is the beginning of something epic. Hailing from Wisconsin, long time friends turned a passion for music into a rocketing, overnight success. In 2013 PHOX garnered a last minute gig at the nationally famed festival, Lollapalooza, and opened for The Lumineers in London.

Their new album proves this is a band in the beginning stages of pop prowess. Bass guitars, horns, slow and low kick-drum beats, piano solos, and clapping and whistling refrains create an eclectic listen for this freshman LP. Lead singer Monica Martin dazzles with her range and honey-coated vocals, recalling the early Tidal days of Fiona Apple. Her soft and soulful swinging voice jumps from jazzy (“Calico Man”) to smooth (“Slow Motion).

“Noble Heart” and “In Due Time,” the album’s closing track, are the epitomes of a daydream, while “Satyr and The Faun” beautifully tells the story of a exotic heart, unwilling to settle – a theme that I feel best sums up the album. New and wildly refreshing, PHOX is chock full of lyrical genius. It is an easy listening delight for the eardrums that is surely the first of a long line of brilliant hits for this up-and-coming group.