Record Revue: Foxes, Jason Scott, Jenny Tolman, and Bryce Bowyn

Welcome to Record Revue, an EP and album review series

Art thankfully continues to be a salve through another barrage of headlines. March is more than halfway over, if you can believe that. We’ve entered year three of a pandemic. And Kim Kardashian says we’re not working hard enough. Go figure. Anyway, the latest record round-up features some of the best pop and country music I’ve heard so far this year. Whether you’re looking to escape into a puff of synths and vibes, or wanting to dig into some discerning stories about pain, heartache, and loneliness, we’ve got you covered. Check out out latest picks below.

Foxes, The Kick

Foxes’ The Kick is dangerously addicting. That’s an impressive feat given the six-year gap since her last studio record, 2016’s All I Need, which remains one of the greatest pop records of the last 20 years. It’d be tough for anyone to match that same panther-perfect energy and knack for chewy earcandy. But Foxes is here to declare that in fact it can be done. Across 11 songs, Foxes crafts ambiance that glistens in color-shifting patterns on the skin. The title track is like leaping into a swirling vat of glitter, a low-riding groove so funky it should be illegal, whereas “Dance Magic” lurches with a futuristic, neck-snapping strut. There’s nary a misstep among the batch, with “Growing on Me,” “Body Suit,” “Two Kinds of Silence,” and “Gentleman” among the most supple, tasty, and downright orgasmic. Then, there’s the piano weeper, “Too Much Colour,” to bookend the synth-plush storybook. “I feel alive, but I know I won’t be alive for long,” she wails. In an instant, tears stream down your face. There’s always a time to dance and lose yourself from the world; but there’s also the important moments to meditate and really live inside the sorrow. Foxes proves you can do both with true reverence and glory.

Jason Scott & the High Heat, Castle Rock

A weary lonesomeness emanates from the album’s volcanic center. “I told my mama, ‘I ain’t dying in this town’,” determines frontman Jason Scott on “Cleveland County Line.” Scott shakes the dust from his boots as much from his soul, reaching into the darkest and deepest recesses to muse upon living, loving, and seasonal transitions. “Another Comforter” disintegrates at his touch, as he shuffles through the skeletal remains of his heart, whereas “Me and Marryanne” regales an outlaw tale, spinning across the keys in true saloon fashion. “In the Offing” throbs and grinds, sticky with electric guitar, leaving little air left in the room. Musicians Taylor Johnson (guitar, keys), Ryan Magnani (bass), Gabriel Mor (guitar), and Alberto Roubert (drum) shoot ferocious lightning bolts throughout Castle Rock, a strong, full-band debut as you’ll ever witness. If this is the group’s starting point, well, they’ll blow the roof off in no time.

Jenny Tolman, Married in a Honky Tonk

If you dug Steel Blossoms’ 2019 self-titled LP, you’re likely to instantly latched onto Jenny Tolman’s sophomore effort. Married in a Honky Tonk is a balance beam of sizzling, high-order country music, teetering between tangy humor and twangy heart. Tolman is a masterful storyteller, tip-toeing from acidic wit (“Married in a Honky Tonk”) to moody, plaintive wisdom (“Same Train as You,” “Watering the Weeds,” “Sweetest Revenge”). Alongside co-writer and producer Dave Brainard, the singer/songwriter wraps you snuggly in warm and soothing production, always feeling classic while barreling ahead in the modern railway. “Well, it was just another day at the beauty salon / When right about noon everything went wrong / A little birdie told Debbie / And Beckie told Lynn / They caught you cluckin’ around with some little red hen,” Tolman sings on “Home to Roost,” a true gem of a story song. Such specificity is poured on thick across the record. It’s exhilarating, really, when artists take great care in inviting the listener right into a vivid, bright, and full-bodied world. As a result, Married in a Honky Tonk feels like anybody’s story, especially if you’ve ever lived in or passed through a small rural town. What a firestorm of a release.

Bryce Bowyn, A Rosy Retrospect EP

A flair for the ultra-dramatic, indie-pop starlet Bryce Bowyn invites you into his silky canopy of dance-pop. A Rosy Retrospect EP lights the ear-lobes on fire, a rush of adrenaline worming into the brain. “Gonna have some god-less fun,” he kisses into the air with “Bleu.” Six songs tantalize with a sweet nectar, recalling Gaga and Robyn but nestled in his own singular voice. It’s provocative enough to get you hot and bothered, while you lose any sense of consciousness and wander through a synth-strewn wonderland. It’s blissful and ravages the mind, body, and soul to the point of numbness. And that’s a great thing. Bowyn takes no prisoners, allowing the melodies to wrap like leather straps around your neck. And all you can do is lay back and enjoy the ride. It’s that good.

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