Album Review: Able Baker Fox – Visions

Able Baker Fox is an offshoot from a collective of various members from Small Brown Bike, The Casket Lottery and Coalesce. The band originally reunited for The Fest in 2014, and in that same year, Small Brown Bike and The Casket Lottery released a collaborative single on Run For Cover Records, and now Able Baker Fox have announced their long-awaited sophomore album that follows on from their critically acclaimed 2008 debut, Voices. Their new album, Visions, is due for release via No Sleep Records tomorrow, the 25th August 2017.

Purple Mountains kicks things off with a raw discordant feel, the whole of Visions has a feel that is reminiscent of early pioneers such as Fugazi, but the raw feel of the album is mixed with emo and post hardcore influences that brings things bang up to date. Amongst the obvious elements that are present on the album there are moments that do bring something new to Able Baker Fox‘s sound, tracks such as Pennies On The Dollar bring a more driving punkier feel into the fold and the closing track, The Clearing, is an anthemic number that if given enough rotation should generate interest in the band as it’s the stand out moment on the album.

If you had to criticise Visions you could say that the album has a somewhat one dimensional approach, the majority of the tracks have a similar feel, although the style is varied enough to stop any sense of deja vu creeping in. Able Baker Fox have delivered an album that will appeal to fans of Small Brown Bike, The Casket Lottery and Coalesce, and this shouldn’t come as any surprise given these are the three bands that make up Able Baker Fox. Whilst Able Baker Fox are not a recreation of their members primary outfits none of the compositions on Visions would sound out of the place on those band’s releases, and that’s quite a balancing act to pull off.

Visions can pre-ordered via No Sleep Records here