Black Foxxes "I'm Not Well"

This band is interesting as it's hard to imagine that they did not come from the late the 90s. While middle of the road when it comes to how hard the they do or do not rock,  I can appreciate the role the vocals play in their sound. As the opener builds there is more of  an early Pearl Jam like angst to the grit added in the vocals. They lock into a more traditional rock role on "Husk". When they ease their foot off the gas it offers a more dynamic glimpse at the band , but flirts with a more emo side than I am not sure I was ready to see yet on "Whatever Let's You Cope" .  There is an androgynous quality to their sound that doesn't glam it out like Placebo, but is there.

They skillfully slide the vocal melodies around slinky grooves on "How We Rust".  "River" brings them floating into the more emo place, with a better guitar tone. They are almost like a more glam tinged version Brand New on this one. I like when they fake you out on the explosive build up. There are some cool guitar passages accompanied by equally compelling vocals. They start to shift over into a more Ours like sound with the alt-power ballad "Bronte".  They are back to the more grunge like sound on "Waking Up". The angry fey vocals provide a nice dynamic and work better than if their singer was an Eddie Vedder clone. The Brand New / Neil Young like chord structure of "Home" keeps it from being a ballad. I would not say these guys are dark, they prove on the build up to this song they can get heavy, they are very moody and introspective lyrically.

"Slow Jams Forever" is not a slow jam.  It reminds me a little of Chevelle or Injected. "Pines" is more subdued. This could be an acoustic out take from My Chemical Romance.Overall if you are playing rock music that come this close to being main stream , but manage to draw me in them you are doing something right. There is plenty that sounds familiar enough here, but with a sound that is their own. So this is how you do it kids. It boils down to the songs and passion behind them. I'll round this up to a 10.