
About a year and a half ago the Phillip Fox Band began what would be a long production process to mix together the band’s full-length debut album, Heartland. Funded through Kickstarter, this project was intended to capture the feel and energy from their live shows. Well, for a band who describes their sound as “Country-Fried Rock N’ Roll”, it’s safe to assume that those shows would be full of high-energy, upbeat, almost head-banging rock music. But don’t let that fool you; there are definite country sounds and influences in nearly every track here. Country-fried rock, southern rock, rock-inspired-country, however you want to call it; these guys have captured the sound of a healthy blend of rock’s hard edge and country’s hardworking honesty.
The Best Songs on the Album
In my opinion the best song on the album is “Nothin Worse Than Weak.” A song that takes the listener on a fantastic cowboy/outlaw journey: the survival of the fittest, fighting until death and facing the inevitable end like a man. Behind the lyrics lie great acoustic western-style guitar notes with a building drum beat and horns that come together during the instrumental break and rise to a dramatic showdown. One can almost fill in the blanks with their own imagery of two western outlaws having a face-to-face confrontation on that dirt road outside a western saloon. Phillip Fox shows his soft side for love a few times on Heartland, but the best two love songs come in the form of “Ava Lee” and “Don’t Forget Me.” In “Ava Lee” we’re introduced to a couple who have lived life together in the fast lane. They burned their own path through the world, but when things slow down she gets ready to say goodbye. He begins to wonder if they should stop ignoring their feelings and try to take their love to the next step. “Don’t Forget Me” shows us his vulnerable side. His woman of affection has moved away, and he will not soon forget her, wishing the same from her. He drives the point home in the bridge with “for all of time, across the great divide, though this sea may swallow me, I will wait for you.” This is a stripped down acoustic song and you can hear the pain in Phillip Fox’s voice as he sings on this track.
There were two other songs that caught my attention. “Writin a New Damn Book” is short and sweet, concluding at a quick 2 minutes 20 seconds. But the song carries a message of taking life head on and making it your own. Have a little faith and don’t simply turn a page in life but write your own damn book. “Cancer Cannot” is a song of faith and hope in the midst of cancer. Coming from a family where I’ve had two relatives fight (and thankfully survive) a battle with cancer, this song hit home to me. The lyrics perfectly capture the emotional strength and enduring hope that cancer patients and their loved ones have during those hard times, and the light acoustic instrumentation behind it help sell the inspiring message.
The Worst Songs on the Album
Most songs on this album either had great lyrics and story telling, or a great musical melody and production behind the vocals. However, songs like “Lovin’ You (Never Felt Like Work)” and “We All Lose Somethin’” don’t really offer either quality. “Lovin’ You” is very basic. He may be a hard-working blue-collar man, but the love is strong and it’s never come with challenges compared to life’s struggles. The lyrics are simple and somewhat predictable, and because it quickly follows (and is not as well written as) “You Are the Girl” (see below) the song’s story seems repetitive and not creative. “We All Lose Somethin’” isn’t much of a story. The song is a long list of how mankind, you and me, all experience loss in one-way or another: from the menial lost wallet to the tragic moments of 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, we’ve all experienced some life let down. The problem I had with the song is there’s no redemption or offer of motivation. It’s a list that tries to include everyone’s problems and emotional reactions to said problems or losses. With three distinct verses to the song, the message of the lyrics is hammered in so hard that the third verse feels like it’s beating a dead horse. Overall these two songs aren’t bad, but the other ten songs offered so much more in lyrical and/or musical composition that these two sit on a lower level in comparison.
The Rest of The Album
The Phillip Fox Band open up the album with “You Are the Girl.” An anthem dedicated to the woman you come home to after a hard day’s work. This song is about the man’s undying love to his wife and his desire to keep romance alive in spite of life’s twists and turns. “Been Workin’ Hard” is Heartland’s ode to the blue-collar workers. The song features quick drum beats and fast-picking guitar work, and even takes the time to call out the upper class 1% who hardly work. The title track is a song dedicated to a little midwestern town. What makes “Heartland” stand out from the hundreds of other small town anthems is that Phillip Fox doesn’t use a single country small town love cliché to sell this story; it’s unique and you can feel his appreciation for his roots with his delivery. “I’d Be Runnin’ Too” offers commentary about a guy and a girl who both cheated on their loved ones. The narrator of the song offers the not so helpful advice of “I’d be runnin’ too” if he’d been the one to cheat and disrespect. Finally, the album ends with “I Ain’t Angry (But I’m Feelin’ Mean).” The song isn’t that strong lyrically, but coming in at eight and a half minutes, this track is clearly dedicated to bluesy, pure hard rock instrumentation and guitar solos. The musicianship on this track is strong and show that the Phillip Fox Band can rock as hard as a majority of their Southern Rock peers.
Overall Thoughts
Phillip Fox Band are definitely “Country-Fried Rock and Roll.” Along the lines of Blackberry Smoke and The Buffalo Ruckus, this is another great group to keep your eye on. Their instrumentation is sharp and skilled; you can certainly hear the musical cohesion these guys have crafted over the years leading up to Heartland‘s release. Phillip Fox has a unique singing voice with a rough edge and almost growl to it. At times, his voice seems to tail off a line a bit too soon, or combine words together in a few lines that take away from the lyrics. But overall Heartland is a great display of the blue-collar hard work and dedication that these men have put into building this band from the ground up.
Grade: 8/10