In the past three years, Baraboo’s sweethearts PHOX have slowly dug themselves out of the obscurity of a Wisconsin snowbank to gain national and international recognition. After opening for The Lumineers at the iTunes Music Festival in London last year and completing a national tour with Blitzen Trapper, PHOX is finally ready to release their first full-length album.
One of the singles from the upcoming self-titled album is the dreamy pop piece “Slow Motion.” This multilayered track features all kinds of interesting instrumentation, such as clarinet and mandolin, and the energy organically ebbs and flows with each swell of the melody. By far the loveliest instrument is the voice of lead singer Monica Martin. Citing classic soul singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James, Martin bends her agile voice around complex melodies and flitting runs with ease. With “Slow Motion” as our first sugary-sweet bite from PHOX’s debut, the rest of the album (out June 24) is sure to be just as tasty.