“We did it. We bloody did it” This is how the post announcing the official release date of The Haar begins. The record features the constant in the band since they began , Mark Holley on vocals and guitar, Finn McLean plays drums and Jack Barrett plays bass. The album features some surprise instrument features from new member Sam Irvine that I will elaborate on further in the review. Sam is not featured prominently on the record, but the moments he is featured on he makes a big impact. In speaking with Mark, he advised Sam is going to be a big part of their future records, and he joined late in the recording for The Haar.

The record begins with the chilling “I Can’t Be Left Alone With It. You can read my first thoughts from when it was released as the lead single for The Haar. ( https://thescopeof.com/2024/07/19/single-review-black-foxxes-i-cant-be-left-alone-with-it/ ) It is an incredible, heavy tonesetter for the record. It feels like a song that could’ve worked as an opener or closer to the record.

“Ha Ha Ha” has a driving bassline from Jack to begin the song before a repeated “ha ha ha” leads the intro into the first verse. It has some indie rock vibes to it before the whispered vocals come in. The “ha ha ha” is repeated throughout the song and the vibrato in the delivery reminds me of some modern day Pearl Jam vocal deliveries Eddie Vedder has. A lot of Mark’s guitar in the song is played in a very grunge tone and chaotically as well. Lyrically the song speaks about tendencies his father fell into, and how he is “not my father’s child” In the second verse you hear the writer describe a lot of the same tendencies, and end with “I am turning into something I’m not” The song is an early indicator that no two songs will be the same on the album.

“Where Have You Been” begins with Mark’s vocals and acoustic guitar. The mix makes you feel like you’re in the room with him as he records it, as you can even hear his fingers move up and down the fretboard. The song slowly builds as the bass and drums enter into the frame after a verse. There is a big moment towards the end of the song, that still feels intentionally restrained. I imagine this section being heavier, and drawn out in a live setting.

The second pre-release song “Carsaig” seemed to be an instant favorite with fans when it was released. The vibe of the song is very reminiscent of some of the best things they did on their self-titled record. It’s another great example of the great sound they got with  the recording of this album. The acoustic guitar, bass and subtle downbeats on the snare drums feel like they’re happening in the room you’re in. It’s incredibly intimate, and in the second verse the vocals are extremely high in the mix which reinforces the live setting sound they captured, before the song has a nice explosion moment. There is a battle going on in the song where Mark sings “I can’t keep falling in love” but later says “I don’t do well by myself”

“Bitcrusher” starts right up with piano and driving bass and drums. The guitar tones that come in during the first chorus are absolutely gorgeous and sound like they’d fit right in on a dream pop album. The piano that plays during the verses almost has a jazzy feel to it, and adds yet another layer to how eclectic this record consistently is. The song has simple but effective guitar solos that are also in the vein of jazz and feel like they could be improvised as the band plays on in the background. The outro of the song is a beautiful moment with layered vocals you can get lost in, that put you in a dreamlike state.

“Turn Out The Lights” is another song that begins right away, following some studio audio, which furthers the continuous vibe of the record feeling like you’re in a room with the band. When the music completely cuts out other than a guitar when Mark sings “Turn Out The Lights” it feels like the song could go into another big moment, but something about the restraint the song shows is charming. The song builds and inflates towards the end of the song, but never allows itself to fully burst. It ends with “All I fear is death” which is a very impactful moment.

“Clean Mind (6 Months)” has awesome variety from loud, shouted vocals in the verses to restrained, almost whispered vocals in the chorus. The bridge/outro finds the perfect balance between the two where it’s full band but very pulled back. This section of the song also features a saxophone solo to end the song.

“Shakey” begins with Finn leading the intro before the full band enters. It’s a rare song on this record that has a fairly extended intro to the song of about 40 seconds. Like the song “Where Have You Been” the song has an outro I imagine goes even harder in a live setting. The repeated line “I can’t turn it off” over the music makes me think it would work really well as the closing song in the main set before the encore when they play it live.

“Darker Than Light” is a very dense, emotional song. This is reached through the intense, vulnerable delivery of the singing, and the stunning lyrics Mark is singing. When he sings “I feel like I am gospel” you can hear the pain he’s singing through. It feels like a very personal look into the thoughts of the writer, some of which are beautiful, like “Kiss me where it’s tender, you’ll leave a mark forever” and some that are crushing and are painful to hear, like “why don’t you just drown me” As far as penultimate songs go on records, this one is up there, and one of the most memorable songs in the band’s catalogue. The song also features very subtle but effective and well timed use of the saxophone, and beautiful vibrant strings.

The record ends with “In The Image Of Perfection” It was the third pre-release song, and feels like a career highlight for the band. At over 10 minutes long, it doesn’t feel longer than half of that runtime. It’s such an incredible closing statement to a beautiful record, where it feels like every instrument, every melody, and every lyric led to this song, which marks the end of a journey.  “All our imperfections into one”

There are themes of being alone, imperfections, addictions, pleading/speaking to God and death throughout the album lyrically. The lyrics, and intimacy in the music demand focused, repeated listens to fully appreciate everything going on. The album builds emotionally throughout until the last two tracks crush you under immense weight emotionally. Black Foxxes truly captured a lot of magic on this album, both in the writing, but the way they captured an incredible overall sound in the studio as well.

9.3/10
Black Foxxes- The Haar
Release Date: 3/7/25
Tracklisting:

    1.    I Can’t Be Left Alone With It
    2.    Ha Ha Ha
    3.    Where Have You Been
    4.    Carsaig
    5.    Bitcrusher
    6.    Turn Out The Lights
    7.    Clean Mind (6 Months)
    8.    Shakey
    9.    Darker Than Light
    10.    In The Image Of Perfection

Written by Adam Backus