Brandon Lowry, known by his stage name Sterling Fox, released an album under the artistic name Baby FuzZ on Feb. 5. Lowry, who was already a household name in the music industry, proved through the release of Welcome to the Future (Season 1) that his talents as a musician and producer go far beyond writing catchy pop tunes for artists like Adam Lambert and Lana Del Rey. Though this album is psychedelic rock, the spectrum of musical genres and influences present within it make it an enjoyable listen for music fans in general.
Welcome to the Future (Season 1) takes listeners to a seven-song journey of pure, unadulterated indie and psychedelic rock. The diversity of musical influences on this album ranges from the fuzzy guitars of bands like The Replacements and The Pixies on the song “Before Our Time” to the fast-paced acoustic punk guitars on “We’re All Gonna Die!!!,” the latter reminiscent of bands like Against Me! and Violent Femmes. Lowry goes as far as to mention Patti Smith, the punk poet who served as one of his greatest influences, on “Before Our Time.”
The theme of Welcome to the Future (Season 1) is also varied although it retains a dark and serious subject matter. While songs like “Weekend Blues” deal with depression and mental health, other songs like “Welcome to the Future” and “Before Our Time” establish a critique of the human dependency on technology. Though most of these subjects tend to have dark undertones, this lyrical darkness is mellowed out by the light and catchy melodies of Lowry’s voice.
While heavy guitars and synthesizers are ever-present in the majority of the album, the song “I’m Trying My Freakin Best” introduces a simple mid-range vocal melody over the haunting chords of a classical piano. This song can also be regarded as a pivotal point in the album as it is found in between the speedy guitars and drums of “We’re All Gonna Die!!!” and the folk and Americana infused R&B track “Hood Life.” Finally, with heavy industrial elements and overlapping synthesizers, “Acid Night,” the final track of the album, is nothing short of an homage to ’90s Shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine, Ride and The Jesus and Mary Chain to name a few.
The score I have given this album is a solid eight out of 10. Baby FuzZ’s Welcome to the Future (Season 1) provides not only an enjoyable listening experience for all music fans, but also provides a deep exploration into the plethora of musical genres and styles that have influenced Brandon Lowry as both a producer and a musician over the years. I am excitedly waiting for a likely Season 2 continuation of the mesmerizing sonic journey.
