The obvious next step for retro-rock revivalist duo Foxygen was to embrace the epic double album, and you can instantly visualise the 1970s-style cover of…And Star Powergracing a gatefold sleeve in vinyl.
It’s not the sort of album that will instantly charm you, unlike last year’s minor classic We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic. But it does pull you in with its wild, wavering force, particularly during its classic rock opening quintet (knowingly subtitled ‘The Hits’) and the four-part ‘Star Power Suite’, which make a satisfying first side that easily matches Foxygen’s past work.
With 24 tracks clocking in at 82 minutes, consistency is out the window. The organ-led ‘Mattress Warehouse’, the Stones-like garage thrash of ‘666’ and the drugged-out grooves of ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ are standouts on ‘Side Two: The Paranoid Side’, but then patience is sorely tested with the freeform but fumbling ‘Side Three (Journey Through Hell)’ and a soggy couple of soft-rock ballads that weigh down the end of the album.
You could argue that there’s enough on here to make one great album that’s half the duration, but there’s no denying that its sprawling length, raw production and willingness to experiment is all part of its cosmic charm. It’s certainly an… experience.
3/5.
…And Star Power is out now through Jagjaguwar /Inertia.
