Foreign Air – Such That I May Glow

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Foreign Air are onto something truly great and moving on Such That I May Glow, their third full-length album to date, and ultimately their most complete artistic statement to date. The band first gained viral success from their debut single that was featured in several prominent ads, called “Free Animal,” that brilliantly showcased what Foreign Air were capable of creating when the duo of Jesse Clasen (lead vocals/guitar) and Jacob Michael (guitar/bass/synths/programming/backing vocals) came together. The band seemed to have gained a certain confidence and swagger that comes through well on this album that is brimming with unlimited potential for where Foreign Air can go from here. The band is somewhere in the same artistic realm as Sir Sly, JR JR, and The Naked And Famous, with a slick self-produced sound on Such That I May Glow, that is quickly becoming one of my favorite releases of not only the synth-wave genre, but also for this entire year.

The album starts off with the bass-heavy synths of “Feels Like Nothing,” as Jesse Clasen explained in the press release that, “The whole record is about finding purpose. That’s why the first track is called ‘Feels Like Nothing,’ which is like, ‘What is life about? How can I fill this hole?'” The band expands upon this concept on the key opener by singing, “I want to be / Be where love is.” It’s not a foreign concept, but the band reminds us of the importance of maintaining these key human connections that make us truly human.

”Save Us” finds Jesse and Jacob swaying and swooning over a programmed drumbeat, while Clasen remains utterly captivating in his energetic vocal refrain of, “Who will save me from myself? / It’s not for nothing…” Foreign Air are doing this type of synth-wave pop just about as good as any other band out there in this entire genre. The cool groove of “Smile”, which was released as a single from Such That I May Glow leading up to the release of the LP today, reminds longtime fans of the band why it was important for them to stick around to see the band’s “glow up”. It’s a shimmering single that reverberates off the speakers, and demands a vinyl pressing one day to fully achieve it’s musical impact.

The upbeat bounce of “Royalty” is a club-ready anthem, that I witnessed personally last evening in DC, gets you moving and motivated to want to have a good day. In fact, I’d argue that pushing play on this particular song is sure to make you feel better of the state of music today: it’s that damn good. The swooning orchestral parts of “Awkward Bones” reminded me of a high school graduation anthem, as Clasen croons about falling in love. It’s got a very 80’s synth pop sound to it, and the band mentioned to me that the orchestra parts were recorded live to fully add to the magic that comes through the speakers on their “version” of a “Bittersweet Symphony”-type of single.

The most recent single to get a video treatment is “The Heist (In The Middle)” that finds the rosy-colored hair of Jesse Clasen bouncing along the vibrant mix of programmed beats and heavy synths, courtesy of Jacob Michael, in a loaded and powerful package. “Maniac” might be the most dangerous song on Such That I May Glow, that explores the uncertainty of what’s going on in strangers’ minds while they’re battling traffic and/or dealing with people that are on the brink of snapping. It’s a vivid depiction of the mental health and gun control crises going on in our country, and it hits its intended tone.

”What’s Wrong?” begins to close out the last trio of songs found on this latest record by exploring, lyrically, the pitfalls and difficulties of communicating in a new relationship. “The Hive” doesn’t really rock, it instead takes a moment for the listener to reflect on the themes that Foreign Air brought forth on this stunning record that is worthy of all the critical praise. The title track closes out Such That I May Glow with a nice message of hope, built largely over some swooning synths, beats and acoustic guitar that reminded me a lot of Vampire Weekend paired with The Beatles. It’s a great way to close out a great record that is loaded with some important thematic elements that are sure to stand the test of time, since they’re all culturally relevant at this exact date and time. Foreign Air might just be my new favorite band to storm onto this scene, and I hope more people see magic that this band is creating.

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