Foxygen – …And Star Power

Experimental Rock Recalls A More Twisted Carpenters

Back in the sixties, there was a sexual revolution and looking back on it now, it seems that everyone was free to love anyone. Adults complain about the hookup culture now and say that this generation will never be happy with this type of life.  According to psychedelic folk duo, Foxygen’s new album, …And Star Power, this might be true.

The album itself—which is, in fact, a double album—is divided into five parts: The Hits, Star Power Suite, The Paranoid Side, Journey Through Hell and Hang On To Love. Each part represents a stage of a relationship, whether they were officially together or not.

At first glance, the first song of the first section, “Star Power Airlines,” gives the listener notice that this album may be one of social commentary on the hookup culture or society at large.  As they say, “am I the only one who sees something wrong?” However, the only thing that they see wrong is in their relationship. They lament in the next track, “How Could You Really:” “How could you really love someone who you can’t let go.” All of the songs in this section have a mellow and melodic instrumentation that recall the heyday of The Carpenters. As a result, we get the record’s most commercial moments and its two singles: the aforementioned, “How Could You Really” and “Cosmic Vibrations.” All of the songs lack Karen Carpenter’s phenomenal vocal to anchor them and the section becomes a bit sluggish.

The second section of the album revs it up with a quartet of songs all starting with the words, “Star Power.” Each cranks up the tempo, but are mostly instrumental tracks.

The third section builds even more with its best track, “Wally’s Farm.” It has the most synths and guitar to recall early Pink Floyd, where words were barely needed to describe what one was feeling. “Wally’s Farm” makes the listener feel like they’re six and tripping on acid.

The fourth section climaxes with “Cold Winter/Freedom.” The section’s title Journey Through Hell lives up to its name. It has distant guitars, strings and percussions I’ve never heard—including a siren—that make it so incredibly difficult to listen to.

The final section, which only has two songs, returns to the pining from the album’s opening section, thus creating the full circle. This time, it’s a little more mature with an organ in the background of the last track, “Hang,” which gives the love a desperation that was absent the first time around. He needs her.

While the album at times is extremely difficult to listen to and enjoy for the sake of gratification, it might be impossible to hate because at least they are trying. They are experimenting, just like their hookup generation.