We live in a society like no other before it. Ease of living, technology, free will and a deeply ingrained obsession with consumerist vanity. Far too often we find ourselves creating barriers to genuine expression in the face of frivolous interests and materialistic priorities. Artists like Little Fox are a dying breed, which is why we’re so happy to hear their music.
Bleeding passion and brooding desire, Little Fox’s FAMA is a gift to any listener holding out for an emotional release in the form of glittering music
Unfortunately this degeneration of raw humanistic values translates into the wonderful realm of music, with mass-produced commercial tracks – which appeal directly to certain demographics wishing to be associated with a particular image – being meshed in amongst a vast pool of passionate creativity. But fear not! For the pool of musicality, though diluted, is far from dry, and countless artists continue to bleed heart-felt song.
Within Little Fox’s new single FAMA, the blood of unkempt emotion is undeniable. Imbued with dark and brooding undertones that will clench your very soul and refuse to release, the piece challenges the status quo of a marshmallow society where divulging one’s honest feelings can be considered taboo. Simone Macarounas – the mind and voice behind Little Fox – harkens back to her roots with FAMA, fearlessly expressing the inner workings of her subconscious.
FAMA doesn’t mess around. A quaking bass drum enters solitarily with booming hits, initially disguising itself as a simple beat before interrupted semi-quaver clapping reveals the syncopated metering of the bass voice, immediately demanding more attention than what is initially given.
A sequence of “Oohs“, partnered in harmonious union with soft, minor tonality keyboard progressions unveils the songs voice in a fashion that causes themes of solemnity to be etched into our minds. “Save us from the wicked lies, all the lies” is the first words we hear as we move into a hypnotic pulse of deep percussion and ruminating vocals, cementing the piece’s fearless foray into taboo expression.
From here we see, or rather hear, something truly gorgeous in its uniquely haunting nature. The song begins to construct itself, but not in a way you would expect. It builds to a point, with the layering of pre-emptive echoes atop the vocals and the re-introduction of the clapping rhythm, until we hear the words “Save our souls” emerge with the clarity of moonlit glass.
The spaced phrase, which reoccurs later, glides crisply amongst the earthy drums, simultaneously providing us with a sense of familiarity in the beat while maintaining powerful individuality through the interaction of parts. Remarkably, FAMA manages to take shape and develop without the aid of standard verse-chorus form, instead playing on the phrase “save our souls” as a thematic concern that reoccurs towards the end. Leading up to this we are introduced to some raw-synth power, which comprises the last piece of the puzzle.
The song leads to an intense climax with all the percussion, piano and synths weaving into one-and-other while the voice chants and “Oohs“, conjuring powerful images of dark flames consuming a soul blighted by the existential de-conditioning of a world where lies reign true. Almost as if to signify the unstoppable force of these flames, the song rounds off with the bass drum and claps in solitude, conclusively linking the end to the beginning.
FAMA hits like an explosion. Powerful, immense, fleeting. It paints us a picture of a world in dire circumstances, stuck in a vice borne of our own need for validation. It is simultaneously the poison and the antidote, revealing the issue while offering a solution. It is all this, but, perhaps most importantly, FAMA is a KILLER track.
FAMA is available for download on April 1st
