Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace and Magic

‘We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace and Magic’ is the second full-length album from the Californian duo. It follows their debut ‘Take The Kids Off Broadway’ by churning out both sublime melodies and joyous experimentalism.

The current single ‘No Destruction’ is a dazzling display of the Velvet Underground’s ‘Rock and Roll’ combined with Dylan in his most loving mood. Uniting their favourite musical influences is something the duo does incredibly well on this album. Unsurprisingly, this is the most successful combo attempted as Reed and Dylan’s sing-talk styles are reasonably similar. TT will be amazed if we hear a cooler vocal in 2013.


‘Bowling Trophies’ witnesses yet more first rate genre amalgamations from the duo. Here they merge industrial electronic music with rasping gospel choirs. Honest! The song opens with a hook that is as catchy as Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’ and will draw you in immediately. Then, as the verse ends, the listener is hit with an anthemic, almost gospel choir style in the chorus.

The references to the past give this album a sense of fun. The second verse of ‘San Francisco’ features a nod to the Scot Mackenzie classic ‘‘San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair’ whilst the brilliant change in tempo for the chorus of ‘On Blue Mountain’ mimic Elvis’ ‘Suspicious Minds’. The album is littered with various one-liners to show off the band’s influences but manages never to detract from what they are doing. The varied references should never be viewed as plagiarism as that is clearly not what they are about; they serve to become an in-joke with listener. It reminds TT of the same way that Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes’ TV show ‘Spaced’ used pastiche to heighten their reality.


For an album with so much going on it is remarkably simple to enjoy. It revitalises 60s flower-power psychedelia  taking it away from die-hard Syd Barrett mods and propelling it into a space where lovers of pop music can enjoy it without fear of recrimination. With spring on its way, we can think of no better album to listen to as the circle of life begins once more.