Bristolian quartet Phoxjaw are releasing their debut album ‘Royal Swan’ on 3rd July! The album was born from a cabin-fevered recording experience at Devil’s Bridge in Wales and harks back to medieval England. It is a great story that details the tension inherent in modern day Great Britain.
After introductory track ‘Charging Pale Horses’, comes ‘Trophies In The Attic’. This song is initially quite a slow burner, edging you in gently to the album. The second half of the song ramps up the energy and brings more attack, with the guitar intensifying making it much more in your face.
‘Triple AAA’ adds another sound in to the mix with its indie rock flares. It is a fast paced, upbeat track with laid back vocals, making it effortlessly catchy. The tone is then changed dramatically with ‘You Don’t Drink A Unicorn’s Blood’. This is a dark, unsettling track that really shakes up the vibe of the album, making it a much more intense listen. This tone is brought back in ‘Infinite Badness’, with lyrics projecting melancholic and distressed feelings.
Lead single ‘Half House’ wins you over with its simplicity. It has a good, steady rhythm and a striking chorus, making it the perfect sneak peek in to the rest of the album.
As far as titles go, ‘An Owl Is A Cat Without Wings’ is definitely up there! It is a jumbled, disorientating song with a mixture of hazy and manic vocals. It is a confusing track to say the least, but is a nice step back from the other sounds.
‘Bats For Bleeding’ is a definite stand out track on ‘Royal Swan’. It features William Blair, formerly of Apple Mosaic who met the band in a local pub and they bonded over their love of classic prog. The track includes a searing organ solo and almost sleazy lyrics, giving it an old school vibe.
The album comes to a close with title track ‘Royal Swan’. It is an insane seven minutes long but keeps the listener hooked with its changes in tone. It begins as quite a slow, dreary track but evolves in to something much more gripping – drawing on vaguely similar sounds to The 1975 as the song fades out. This is a much darker album than you initially think, but it is an eye catching way of making their official debut.