Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Bill Fox Reveals One Thought


Bill Fox began making music in the mid 80's as the front man for somewhat famous rock and rollers The Mice. Releasing one album, an EP, and a single over the course of the band's career Bill slowly grew beyond their influences and eventually he walked away from the Mice in 1988. From there he continued to write songs and eventually showed up in another band called Radio Flyers, then released a single on Scat Records in the mid 90's followed by an album and then he found himself on legendary indie label Spin Art by 1998. His latest album One Thought Revealed is his first material released since then.

Fourteen years in the making and with a lot of time to compose that one thought, Bill Fox has toned things down a bit from his rock and roll days back in the 80's. Now sounding a bit like Bob Dylan and fully embracing his inner folky he's written intimate songs that are seemingly composed simply for guitar and organ. And while his songs are good, it’s the organ that follows Bill's lead that really intrigues me here. It lends each of the songs it appears on One Thought Revealed depth and soul and takes them away from being just another folk tune and transforms them into something greater. It's almost as if these songs were R&B without the rhythm.

One Thought Revealed is an intriguing listen. It's interesting to hear how Bill has matured as a musician and how he's channeled all that energy that used to permeate his music outwardly, inwardly. The results are gripping and you can't help but sit and listen to each of Bill's songs here no matter your feelings toward the genre. While I wish that the organ was a more central part of his arrangements (as opposed to the guitar), I enjoyed the songs none the less. One Thought Revealed is a revealing look into the soul of a musician who has just about seen and done it all and come to grips with everything. It's nice work.

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