Review: Finn Foxell - MAMAS BOY

Versatile, Personal and Exuding Confidence. A Belting Debut Album from Finn Foxell.

Music is a very universal thing. You find new tracks from every advert, every radio station,  every CD given to you by older siblings, so on and so forth. The most exciting thing about  all this is, you never know what to expect from every new track you hear, even if you  know the artist's past output. I'm starting with this anecdote as it perfectly describes  MAMAS BOY; the debut album from Shepherds bush based artist Finn Foxell.  

He's been cutting his teeth in the music scene since 2015, with his first singles ‘Posture’  and ‘Ericsson’, while also playing a key role in the Elevation Medication collective. I’ve  been aware of Foxell since his fantastic EP Good Tea in 2019, and was enamoured by his  witty wordplay mixed with a sharp, deadpan flow. The strong variety in its features helped  too, with verses from Nayana Iz and Lava La Rue alongside production from fellow  Elevation member P-rallel.  

However, I still was unsure what to expect from this new album. Its been near enough 6  years since that release, alongside two more mixtapes throughout the years, so I was  curious to hear the evolution of his sound. I am glad to say that this an extremely strong  debut album that oozes personality without being downright confessional. It also  highlights the versatility of the sounds he’s grown up listening to and been experimenting  with in his 25 years.  

You can’t call Foxell just a rapper anymore, it's very clear just from the opening title track,  with its gospel elements and old family soundbites sprinkled throughout. It's a dreamy  song with a delicate nature surrounding its arrangements. This self assured tone is all  over the album: every guitar, every live drum and string inclusion feels very thought out  and deliberate. The album jumps from 80s pop inspirations, (‘TOUGH TIMES’), Jamie T laced choruses, (‘ALIVE’) and tender acoustic moments (‘CONCRETE’).

What I really wasn’t expecting from this body of work was just how versatile Finn is  vocally. He yelps like he’s a mystery member of Stiff Little Fingers on ‘HEADSPIN’,  crooning like a tender rockstar aided by slick baselines on ‘EASIER’ to then lean into the  cheekiness of his more swagger filled flows, most evident with ‘SNATCH’ which could  easily fit into the soundtrack of the Guy Ritchie film of the same name.  

Let's set things straight though, this man knows how to rap. He has been defining his pen  for nearly 10 years now and it shows. Tracks like ‘INSIDE OUT’ feel like a strong  evolution of the sound he started on, while balancing a fine line of vulnerable and scrappy  in the same verse. ‘EMBER’ being one of the more somber tracks on show here has an  effortless transition from bouncy verses into strong vocal hooks highlighting the range he has.  

To make a 14 track album with no features and to keep it sounding fresh and constantly  moving is very impressive, he leans into more alternative sounds here, without sounding  like a rip off of the bands that came before him. ‘HIM & HER’ is an absolute winner with  Finn's punchy harmonies backed with warbling synths while lyrically he chastises a past  lover for cheating. But he never sounds pissed off, just disappointed. 

‘GASPING’ is, dare I say, one of the best album closers I’ve heard in a while. Its guitar  work is immediately disarming and again complements the lyricism, discussing the feeling  of being overwhelmed. He’s belting these lyrics with such intent and it's extremely moving.  “Hands can’t stay still, bill it” There is Hans Zimmer levels of buildup in how this track  unfolds and again highlights that Finn Foxell isn’t an artist to be placed into a box.  

MAMAS BOY is a varied and intricate triumph, being a love letter to not only his  hometown and upbringing, but the experiences he’s gone through and the various people  that have come and gone in his life. A truly personal and strong statement. As he states  on ‘EMBER’: “I’ve gotta do this for myself.”

MAMAS BOY is out now on all platforms.