An unbiased review from someone who isn't really a huge fan of Foxes but I got a copy so here's a review!
1. Rise Up (Intro): As far as intros go, it's not bad. It doesn't merge into Better Love or really sound similar so I wonder why it's there in the first place? Starts with a kid's voice saying something I can't make out, and the rest of it is strings and a bit of cymbals. 4/10
3. Cruel: I feel like this would be a good driving song. I could see it being a single, the production sounds quite 'clubby' but it's probably too slow to be played in clubs. I like this one but it doesn't go as hard as it could. 7/10
6. Amazing: Sounds quite Ellie Goulding inspired with the big drum sounds. The chorus doesn't do it for me to be honest but the hook after the chorus is boppy with plucked strings playing notes over the beat and it makes up for the blandness of the rest of the song. "Do what you wanna! Take a hold of me!" 7.5/10 (Edit: oh it's already released! Good choice.)
9. Wicked Love: The sounds quite bare and frankly a little bit boring. Sounds like it's still a demo. It's giving me Lana Del Rey unreleased Puppy Love vibes. The chorus sounds whimsical and cute but that's about it really. The bridge is super short and doesn't really do much for the song. I feel bad for saying it since she probably worked hard on every song, but it screams 'filler.' 5/10
10. Scar: Mid-tempo piano ballads are always hard to get into on the first listen but I think this one could be a grower. Good steady beat during the chorus. It's not a bop really, it's more of a walking song. 6/10
11. Money: "Money can't love you back" is the main message here... I agree that lyrically it's a bit cheesy. Production isn't bad though. Piano, drums and clapping. It's really basic ngl? This could be the annoying repetitive song that everyone skips. 5.5/10
12. On My Way: A slow piano ballad this time. So soon after Scar? This one sounds more sincere though. It's softer and the vocals are clear. The choruses seems to build and pick you up and then gently lets you back down again as it anticlimactically goes into the next verse. Maybe some songs don't need a chorus drop? This one seems fine without one. 6.5/10
13. Shoot Me Down: Starts with vocals and piano only. It picks up with a steady drum beat and then drops into the head bopping chorus. It's alright I guess! There's no standout synth sounds or mood here. Sounds like a rejected disco remix of what this version could have been. If that makes sense? 5.5/10
14. Lose My Cool: This does sound similar to Shoot Me Down. I think piano is way too over featured on this album. Someone will say 'It's the song with the piano' and I'll go 'What? All of them?' This song sounds somewhat more dynamic than Shoot Me Down though. The "You make me lose my ^cool^" parts are cute though. 6/10
15. All I Need: The title track usually hold higher expectations than the rest of the album. The song doesn't do it for me. The repetitive chorus (You're all I need, you're all I need, you're all I need) sounds cheap and badly written. Instrumentation is okay. The drum beat is the main feature on this track but everything else is bland and washed away by blending into the rest of the album? 6/10
16. Rise Up (Reprise): Starts off the same as the intro, but there are vocals in this one. It sounds quite epic and majestic but the song doesn't lead anywhere heavy. The symphony goes great with her voice but if they added a great drum beat to it, it would slay hard and go above everything else. The ending is anticlimactic. It just ends and reverbs out. 5/10
Verdict:
The album to me sounds bland and unfinished. Maybe it'll take a couple of listens to get into but initially I'm not very impressed with it. Her vocals are great as usual but I think some of the chorus lyrics let her down as well as the production on some of the songs. Some songs start off great but then lack the energy to carry on by the time the first chorus has finished. My fave track is Amazing though as it's the only one I can imagine myself listening to regularly. Of the singles/released I wouldn't rate any of them above a 7/10 either. I'd rate the album overall around 6/10.
I don't doubt they're true (well most of them, a few known attention seekers in here but a mostly reliable people )
From the snippets, what y'all seem to think makes it bland is what I quite like about it. I see this being better than Glorious, maybe not fantastic but solid nonetheless.
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