Madame Psychosis - Foxtail (self-released)

Madame Psychosis walks along the pop/rock divide better than any band I have heard in a long time—a very long time. They understand and practice the art of combining the best of each genre while steering clear of the inherent baggage and cliches found there. With their latest release, “Foxtail,” they take that deft footwork to even more dazzling heights.

Here, we find them laying out the required swathes of rock guitars in the form of big rhythmic backdrops, infectious hooks, and pleasing peripheral sonics, but, good as that is, that isn’t what sets them apart from the pack. It varies from song to song, but what makes “the new single really stand out, for me, is the subtle, and not so subtle, sixties infusions – that swinging Ringo-esque beat, the sonic lifts, the paisley-patterned harmonies, the infectious pop-for-grown-ups vibe, and the psychedelic sonics which ebb and flow through the song. It’s everything that bands such as The Bangles captured so brilliantly in their early days.

And the even smarter thing is that one isn’t sacrificed for the other. Despite the cool pop moves and nostalgic grooves, “Foxtail” is robust, raw, and rebellious enough to keep the most ardent rocker happy.

This is the sort of music that acts as a Trojan horse. Whether they are smuggling poppier and more accessible elements into the rock realm or bringing harder-edged sonics to the pop pastures, “Foxtail” is the sort of song that will be welcomed in both camps and have them dancing the night away before the generic gatekeepers realize that their ranks have been infiltrated.

It’s seductive stuff, indeed.

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