When Foxes said that All I Need would be more personal, I was intrigued. Most of Foxes' songs come across as mystical and otherworldly while still having that raw edge, so having her stripping back the cover even more was definitely an experiment worth waiting for, Three singles and four pre-order instant grants were released before February 5th, so much of the album's sound had already been established beforehand. I was in love with pretty much everything, the only worry I had being that the toxic relationship material would become way too repetitive, especially since most of the songs were shaping up to be in that vein.
However, the instrumental choices were still wonderful, and Foxes' writing and vocals were amazing, so I had incredibly high hopes going into this record. Were those met?
Let me just describe this album in a GIF before moving on to words.
If that doesn't describe my feelings for All I Need, I don't know what will. Foxes has outdone herself with this album, and while it's still filled with the lush and gorgeous instrumentals that populated her debut, her sophomore effort packs a real visceral punch in the writing that often had me feeling incredibly emotional. If now's a time Foxes could enter the spotlight here in the US, it would be now, because All I Need shows exactly what she has to offer: a powerful voice, evocative writing, and the instrumentals to back her up.
Let's kick off this review by talking about "Rise Up (Intro)". Beginning with a beautiful line from Foxes' niece ('If I was a bird, I could fly far, far, far away"), the song transitions into a violin line before bringing in a keyboard and cymbals. The entire track soars without the help of vocals, and it's an incredibly powerful and moving way to begin the album. Just when the song reaches its highest peak, a gong rings out its end, but before you get too disappointed, the intro fades right into our next song.
I named "Better Love" my favorite song of 2015, and it's really clear why that's the case. With a pounding beat, excellent vocal harmonies (Dan Smith from the band Bastille co-wrote this song and sings background vocals), and simple yet powerful lyrics, no wonder it was chosen as the second single off of All I Need. This track sets the backdrop for this album: an unhealthy relationship that Foxes wants out of, and although Foxes knows the guy she's with is terrible for her, she can't help but want a better relationship, because 'when [she's] in [his] arms, [she] forget[s] the darker days'. It's completely understandable, and the listener can't help but resonate with Foxes' pleading as she tries to find a 'better love'. One only hopes she'll be able to.
The very first single off the album, "Body Talk", was released way back in June of 2015 (leading to an eight month long tortuous wait for the album), and although I didn't love it at first, this song grew on me immensely after a couple listens. With its infectious 80's-flavored synths, a light touch of bass, and percussion that sizzles and pops alongside the back half, this track makes a perfect dance jam that would probably play in a neon soaked night club. However, the lyrics paint a much more melancholy picture. Foxes is trying to move on from the aforementioned relationship, but she's doing her best to take a deep breath and officially claim her life as her own again. The second verse showcases that in a beautiful way, but it also helps that "Body Talk" is uplifting in a way that's indescribable by words. All I can say is that listening to the song will give you evidence of this uplifting mood.
The next track "Cruel" is undeniably my favorite track from All I Need. The reason why it's the best is a combination of factors. It may have to do with the tropical R&B inspired beat (complete with a hi-hat found in any trap dance anthem), the vocal samples that provide even more of a groove, or the lyrics, which are some of the best on the album ('Give me something out of nothing, if it's not too late', 'If it's real, I guess I'll feel the pain', 'Coming closer, out of focus', and 'It's hard to love someone who can't be loved', to name a few). But I think the largest positive is Foxes herself, Her vocals are both subtle and emotional in "Cruel", and they work extremely well in capturing the anguish someone has when being bound to a person they both love and hate. I hope that this song becomes the next single, because I can definitely see it doing well in the UK and here in the US (hopefully the radio decides to pick up Foxes now, because she deserves it 1000%).
We slow things down with the dreamy and incredibly sad "If You Leave Me Now" as the fifth song on the album. This song again brings up the recurring string elements found throughout All I Need, and the instruments sound absolutely beautiful here, particularly when they get their own moment to shine on the bridge. One of the most simple lyrically, Foxes sings about how she wants her lover to leave, but at the same time wanting him to stay. It creates a vicious cycle that's plainly circled in the chorus through alternating sayings ('Please don't go' and 'But you stay' are clear signs of this), and that's why the song is so heartwrenching: it wrestles with the idea of not knowing what to do in an understandable way. I can't help but tear up during this song every time I listen to it because of that fact.
Up next is "Amazing", the third single from the album. This track is definitely the happiest on the album and its liveliest, what with the rousing hand claps and vibrant instrumentation. Foxes describes the worry of going out with a guy she's just fallen head over heels with, but at the end of the day, she just goes "Screw it!" and proceeds to have a good time without worrying about the results. It's both reckless and fun, and as long as it's for one night, there won't be a problem. The chorus is insanely catchy and will most definitely get stuck in your head while you clap along, and since most of this record is sad, it's nice to have this to brighten up the mood (plus, there's an album title drop in this; fun!).
We return to our regular scheduled programming of sadness with "Devil Side", another standout track lyrically (I mean, 'slow motion suicide' is probably the most dramatic and genius phrase on the whole album). On this track, Foxes wants her lover to show their good side and not the evil one that they've been keeping. It's clearly evident she loves this guy, but she can't stand his behavior anymore because she'll leave. The song is co-written and produced by Dan Wilson ("Someone Like You" by Adele and "All You Never Say" by Birdy), and although Foxes' vocals are unnecessarily Autotuned at parts (she's a fantastic singer, she doesn't need ANY Autotune (look at acoustic version of "Devil Side", you'll be amazed)), the instrumental of piano, keyboard/synth, and mellotron strings perfectly compliment the tone of the song. I especially like how it picks up in the chorus to become a little jaunty, adding a little brightness to the unhappy situation.
"Feet Don't Fail Me Now" was the first promotional single released from the album (followed by "If You Leave Me Now", "Devil Side", and our next track) and featured in a special music video for a H&M fashion/music campaign Foxes led. This song brings a lot of the fire that All I Need has been lacking so far, and this clearly shows through the percussion and the piano line sounding like footsteps. Not only are there more beautiful phrases to be found here ('You were all my riches, spent my love 'til there was nothing left') but there's power behind Foxes' vocals as she decides to pack up and move on from a relationship that was clearly doomed from the beginning. It's much more certain than "Body Talk" because Foxes isn't shedding any more tears, and I really liked this side of her. Plus, the music video is absolutely incredible and tender!
"Wicked Love", our final promotional single, is next up with a sound similar to Lana Del Rey (ironic, considering Rick Nowels, a frequent collaborator and producer of Lana's stuff, co-wrote this song). With a vibrant piano line, steady drums, and a guitar line in the pre-chorus, this song bounces along when the chorus hits to create dreamy pop in the best way possible. Despite the track's upbeat presentation, the lyrics are a lot darker, describing an intoxicating partnership that makes our narrator feel worse when it's done. Although it feels like the song is treading in familiar territory, the presentation is once again different, keeping listeners on their toes. When I first heard "Wicked Love", I thought it was incredibly beautiful, and despite some more Autotune (*sigh*), this track definitely holds up as one of my favorites on the album, even if it is short.
For the emotional ballad that the tenth song "Scar" brings to the table, it's a lot shorter than you'd expect it to be, running at only a little over three minutes. However, that doesn't mean Foxes lacks the emotional punch necessary to bring tears to your eyes when this song plays, and that's exactly what she does. Bringing her A-game with soul tinges throughout, Foxes tells the story of moving on after a breakup while still carrying the wounded memories left behind. It's sad in a way that brings hope to the table, and although Foxes sounds completely defeated in the bridge, one can only pray she's all right. This definitely reads as one of the final songs written for the album, as it sounds like Foxes has finally put this relationship to bed.
Remember how I keep on bringing up beautiful lyrics throughout this review? Well, "Money" is the absolute pinnacle of them, which makes this song another one of my favorites. Taking on the old sentiment of 'money can't buy you happiness', Foxes spins her own twist on it and describes money as an actual person, someone her ex has gotten together with. However, it seems like trickery continues, because Money is using the boyfriend for her own twisted little game, and Foxes is left to hope that the guy finds his way out of the mess alive. Other than that, there's beautiful touches to this song that make it work: the pounding drums, the piano and keyboard lines, but most importantly, the gorgeous children's choir that appears in the final chorus. Foxes brings it all together with her polished and emotive delivery, and that makes "Money" a true winner.
"On My Way" closes out the album pretty much where Foxes started: sad, heartbroken, and mad at herself for not standing up to the guy. This song starts with a beautiful piano line and has our singer baring her soul as she talks about the cycle of this terrible relationship continuing, despite the fact that she knows she should stop it. Although "Better Love" still had hope, "On My Way" shows heartbreaking defeat, and Foxes is left to plead with her lover to let her go because she was 'on [her] way to healing'. It would be an incredibly painful way to end the album if you were listening to the standard edition, but since it seems like all of the CDs are the deluxe edition (making it standard in CD form?), we have four more songs to discuss and squeal about (because they're AMAZING).
"Shoot Me Down" starts off the last part of All I Need with violins before transitioning into piano and eventually becoming a funky piano and percussion snap filled chorus. Foxes personally describes this as her 'fuck you' song, and from the lyrics, it's clear to tell why. She may be hurt and still be affected by her lover, but she's not going to let it get the best of her. She'll become a warrior and wait to see if he 'shoot[s] [her] down', challenging him all the way. It's definitely a really fun song to dance and sing along to, and I can't help but think this is Foxes' sassiest song to date. It's nice to have a track like this after a ballad.
"Lose My Cool", our next song, could very well be a single if Foxes decides to pull a Taylor Swift in the future. It's incredibly catchy and mainstream pop at its finest: well-written lyrics, a propulsive groove, and the feeling of there being something undeniably fun about it. "Lose My Cool" is definitely the happiest of the crazy relationship songs, because Foxes literally talks about going crazy because her lover affects her so much. In the verses it seems that the partners aren't as happy as they'd like to be, but they'll get on 'this dangerous ride' and see where it ends. Call it insane, but this track is definitely fun and worthy of being played at any dance party.
It's title track time! Although "All I Need" was performed live before the album's release numerous times, it wasn't included as part of the first 12 songs, unlike Foxes' debut. However, that doesn't make this song bad, but it's an outlier in a way: it's the happiest love song on the album. The relationship on this track is a stable one where Foxes relies on her lover to guide her home whenever they get lost. He's the one that she needs most, and no matter what happens, they'll stick together through thick and thin. It's definitely a nice statement, and it's backed up by pounding drums and these laser video game gun sound effects that sounded out of place at first before finally settling in. This is the kind of track that would make a phenomenal AMV or a great choice for a writing playlist (which I will be doing in the future), and all you really have to do is hear it for yourself to understand what I mean.
It's officially time for our closer: the reprise of the intro, complete with lyrics! This is the song where Foxes completely cuts ties with the guy she was in a relationship with, and it's redemption at its most glorious (ha, puns!). It's more stripped back than the intro, but it still carries the elegance of that while also having more dynamic power. It also helps that Foxes has both restraint in her vocals and belting, showcasing her whole range. As "Rise Up (Reprise)" fades out with one final gong, I couldn't help but applaud in my head because I was completely impressed with All I Need as a whole. Also, it made me sad to hear it end.
Overall, All I Need is definitely the standout album I was expecting that perfectly shows Foxes' versatility as a performer and a songwriter. She may be only on the Heatseekers chart now here in the US, but I think in a couple years, she could really achieve the level of stardom she's reached in the UK. The album is available from Sign of the Times Records under license to Epic in both CD formats (which may be import) or a much more easily accessible digital version on iTunes (both standard and deluxe). You can also stream the album on Spotify and other places.
Until next time!
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