Review: Foxygen’s ‘... And Star Power’ silly and mostly inconsequential

A dense, scattershot batch of could-be songs yet to be realized, the third record from one of Los Angeles’ most promising guitar bands is kind of a mess.

Unlike Foxygen’s memorable last album, “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic,” which captured a group of smart, spontaneous creators in love with Ray Davies-esque songcraft and structural surprise, “… And Star Power” is scattered, often silly and mostly inconsequential.

But maybe it stands to reason; the band is known nearly as much for its internal drama and chaotic live gigs as it is for its music at this point, and you can hear it. Throughout “... And Star Power,” Foxygen misses where it formerly hit. “Cosmic Vibrations” captures in five meandering minutes the sound of its creators seemingly giving up as they fall into some hallucinogenic abyss.

Most frustratingly, there are enough chunks of quality here — “Mattress Warehouse,” “Flowers,” “Everyone Needs Love” — to still make you drool. A better option, though, is to go a la carte. It’ll save you time, and it’ll stave off the bitter taste of what could have been.

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Foxygen

”... And Star Power”

Jagjaguwar

Two stars

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