When you play together for over eleven years, you’re bound to have a musical synergy that is either exceptionally enjoyable or far too profitable to let go (read: Oasis). While I hate to make assumptions, Foggy May definitely at least fall into the former category. The band just sound like they’re having so much fun together on each of the thirteen tracks on their joyous new album ‘It’s All a Joke’. Combining elements of reggae and ska with more traditional alternative rock foundations, they flip the entire energy and mood of the genre in each piece.
If I had to draw a close equivalent, Foggy May have a lot of the Grateful Dead in them. And that might just be one of the biggest compliments I can give any band. They just sound so smooth together, a kind of jamming that comes together from a wholehearted joy of the music you’re playing. With songs that use upbeat guitars with light drumlines, they create a constant urge to tap your feet across each track’s duration. ‘It’s All a Joke’ is about life itself; or rather, the absurdity and ultimate meaningless of it altogether. The cover, that of a massive alien holding earth in the palm of his hands, lends to that larger idea of our collective insignificance in the wake of the universe. But, rather than roll with r that seemingly depressing concept, they flip it on its head and make the album about enjoying life rather than imbuing it with a needless seriousness.
I LOVE this album. It’s just so infectious in its energy that it put a smile on me on the most gloomy of rainy days. The feeling behind the riffing of bass and electric is just a vibe in and of itself. And there’s so much diversity as you move along with no two pieces sounding in any way identical. There are the more mellow and lie back tunes like the closer ‘Ocean Tide’ that make you feel like closing your eyes and floating away. And then there’s tunes that make you get up, dance, scream, or run like ‘Lady Ace’ that sound like they have a melody of an age old classic. The minute I heard Lady Ace I felt like I was in a Grateful Dead concert. There’s also moments that seem unbelievably impressive to just hear like the opening instrumentation jamming on ‘Eddie Don’t Wonder’. But what I love the most about Foggy May is there seemingly infallible ability to get the basics so right — addictive riffs and infectious hooks.
‘It’s All a Joke’ is a darkly optimistic piece for the times. Sure, we’re all fucked and the end result of life might be ultimately meaningless, but that’s all the more reason to let go and enjoy. Let your guard down and enjoy this special one.
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