2

“2” Foxwarren
Canadian folk rock five-piece led by Andy Shauf. Second album from the group, following their 2018 studio debut. Shauf is well-known for his intricately planned, story-driven solo albums, on which he plays every instrument. For “2,” the five Foxwarren members recorded their parts remotely and then sent everything to Shauf to mix and bring it all together. A style-bending effort that incorporates some hip hop rhythms with chamber pop elements and numerous samples from old-time movies. Very creative and compelling. RIYL: Andy Shauf, Pedro The Lion, Fruit Bats, Cut Worms.
— Francis

Recommended: 8, 6, 4, 9, 13, 1, 3. No FCCs detected.

1. (2:38) Dance — A soft and melodic piano ballad. Deliberate pacing. Gentle, wistful lead vocals. Some sweet harmonies. A few strings. ***
2. (2:26) Sleeping — Starts with sampled movie dialog. Off-kilter, stop-and-go beat underneath a very few lines of vocals. Lush and cinematic.
3. (4:02) Say It — Playful pop that once again opens with film dialog. Solid bassline reminiscent of the Beatles. Intriguing, somewhat edgy instrumental trail-out with distorted guitar for the final 1:30 of the track. ***
4. (2:44) Listen2Me — Fun, bouncy pop rock strut. Guitar-driven, with keys and strings as well. A few unexpected musical twists and turns near the end. ****
5. (0:28) Quitealot2 — Sampled movie dialog only.
6. (3:16) Strange — Bubbly rhythm set to a skittering hip hop-inspired beat. Shauf’s dreamy vocals and orchestral loops shine within the soundscape. ****
7. (0:59) Havana — Old timey-sounding movie music as an interlude, with one line of dialog at the end.
8. (2:13) Yvonne — A short, lovely, lilting pop single. Shauf’s lead vocals, plus strings and rich harmonies. Some seagull sound effects. ****
9. (3:32) Deadhead — Opens with sampled dialog. March-like rhythm created by the bassline. Nice guitar licks interspersed with harmonized vocals and a few chamber pop elements. Pulsing synth drones in the outro. ****
10. (0:35) True — Very short melody with vocals that stop suddenly.
11. (2:14) Round&Round — Short bursts of guitar riffs. Delicate, playful vocals. Airy violins tying it all together.
12. (3:14) Dress — Out-of-sync melody. Vocals and flute samples interwoven. Ends with movie dialog.
13. (4:07) Wings — A nice chillwave groove with funky, R&B bassline, tinkling piano and handclaps. ***
14. (2:41) Serious — Ominous-sounding track. Organ and bass in counterpoint. Minimal vocals. Sampled movie dialog. Synth trail-out.
15. (1:30) Again& — Simple toe-tapping closer with light, wistful vocals intermixed with some dialog. Cuts off suddenly at the close.