Foreign Born - PERSON TO PERSON - Opaque Blue Color Vinyl

Foreign Born has created an album of dense pop music, which sets them apart as top songwriters alongside contemporaries like Cass McCombs and James Mercer, and even music greats like David Bowie (yes, I said it). However, the band is able to avoid the 'songwriter' label by delivering a more collective sound like a BAND. They use African high-life guitars in combination with New Wave wash, daring to keep their sound open to a variety of influences from U2 to The Feelies. If you imagine the Walkmen in Bermuda shorts and flip-flops, you may get close to the sound of Foreign Born. It's like Phil Spector's mid-70s 'lost recordings' inspired by the depth of second-line drum bands from New Orleans. Some people say that Foreign Born is an anthem band without a fist-pumping anthem, and that might be true. But the trade-off is an album that's more cerebral and sustaining. The thing with summer anthems is that they only last a summer, but Foreign Born delivers the soundtrack for the backyard BBQ of the ages.