Welcome to the Church of Rock and Roll

Gospel, glam, rock and roll together? Oh yes. Cincinnati-based rock group Foxy Shazam—a name derived from a high school slang term meaning “cool”—have released their fourth studio album, The Church of Rock and Roll. As a band who constantly seem to be tweaking and reinventing themselves, the album demands attention from listeners.

The wailing vocals of Eric Nally can be compared to those of The Darkness (who the band will tour with in February), and sometimes it sounds like Nally’s back-up vocals are the same dudes who backed up Freddie Mercury. What is undeniable is the band’s unique style and full sound. The 11-track album begins with a hearty greeting with “Welcome to the Church of Rock and Roll,” complete with a trumpet solo from Alex Nauth. The religious theme doesn’t just stop there; “Holy Touch” will get a whole crowd of fans singing along to Nally as he belts “Heal me with your holy touch!” over and over.

“Last Chance At Love” shares many similarities with ’80s pop radio. If the band sees as much success as they saw with their self-titled third album, a radio single isn’t far off, especially for being such a friendly album. The Church of Rock and Roll goes above and beyond to prove itself difficult to place into one genre. They may not be the “Michael Jackson of rock ‘n’ roll,” which is what Nally said on their Facebook page. But his statements match the boldness of the band.