Track-by-Track: Foxy Shazam

Perched somewhere between Queen, Meat Loaf, the Ark and the Darkness, Cincinatti's outrageous Foxy Shazam may have just released the best album of the year so far. By going poppier with their sound this time around, they've uncovered a gift for melody that suits the searing vocals perfectly. It's easy to get lost in huge production like this, but thankfully the songs are there. Amazing songs. Anthems.

1. Intro/Bombs Away - One of the strangest opening lines ever (There sure are a lot of dogs out there this evening. Perhaps they could assist me... in a song!) lets you know exactly what kind of bizarre album you're in for, then launches into a blistering opener assisted by Eric's powerful, wailing vocals. You're either gonna love it or hate it. I love it. 10/10

2. Wanna-be Angel - Mixing the orchestral pomp of Sparks with the fury of Freddie Mercury's vocals, this is the first "hit" of the album. Totally over the top, totally catchy. The cheeky verses are the best. 10/10

3. Count Me Out - Of all the songs, the chorus of this one reminds me most of the Darkness (in the best of ways). It's definitely a strong, fiery chorus... one of the strongest on the album. It continues the perfect stream of songs that open the album 10/10

4. Bye Bye Symphony - Slowing things down a bit, though it becomes pretty aggressive towards the end. I love the lyrics here and especially Eric's oh-so-serious delivery of them. Very soulful, too. Like everything on the album, it's on a grand scale. 10/10

5. Unstoppable - This sounds like a lost glam hit from the 70's. It's got that "We Are The Champions" vibe to it, though it's a massive uptempo number. Suitable for stadiums, for sure. The chorus hits the stratosphere. Few people could hit notes like this. 10/10

6. Second Floor - Another total anthem with a sky-high chorus. I just can't get over the vocals. It's practically inhuman. The lyrics are nice here, too, and seem to reinforce what the band's all about. All about wanting to exist outside of needless record label control. 10/10

7. Oh Lord - My favorite track on the album, and the first one I heard. In fact, it may be the best song I've heard all year. It's huge, majestic, epic... what other words can I use? Perfection. 10/10

8. Connect - A poppier track with an excellent gospel-infused chorus. Gospel and beat-boxing shouldn't mix so well, but the band's natural swagger makes it work. 10/10

9. The Only Way To My Heart... - The only song where the band succumb to artiness at the expense of melody. It just doesn't compare to the other tracks. That being said, the other tracks are very strong. Easily the weakest link, though, and preferably replaced by one of the bonus tracks. 7/10

10. Killin' It - And we're back to brilliance. The chorus is huge, the verses are great, and I love the background whispers. 9/10

11. Evil Thoughts - The one true ballad of the album, and a very soulful one at that. I think the band have even better ballads in them in the future, but this is still quite nice and a great closer to a brilliant album. 9/10

Album Grade: 9.5/10