PHOX’s “Noble Heart,” like many of the songs on the Madison-based band’s EP Confetti, finds its strength in balancing intimacy with soft, layered arrangements and momentous crescendos. The song begins with delicate piano over propulsive acoustic guitar and eventually introduces Monica Martin’s powerful voice in an environment so fragile that elements such as the players shifting at their instruments are audible. By the end of the first segment of the song clean electric guitar, bass, banjo, and clarinet begin to subtly fill in any vacant space. After a short repose that allows the clarinet to briefly and eloquently come to the forefront, a second verse develops featuring drums and whispery vocal harmonies. The song culminates in a rousing full-band effort emphasizing the songs buoyant, wordless refrain.
Ultimately, “Noble Heart” manages to distill the somber, rainy-day elements of springtime with its more inspiring moments of coatless optimism into one cohesive unit. The song, as well as the Confetti EP, are available at PHOX’s Bandcamp and were released jointly with a collection of videos available at the group’s YouTube page (or spliced together at Vimeo). The accompanying clips range from conventional music videos to comedic interludes to documentary-style recording footage — all of which serves as a worthwhile introduction to what is shaping up to be one of Madison’s most prominent musical entities.