Fox Jaws — At Odds (Or, Exercises In Separation While United In The Fall)

Fox Jaws have a knack for making ordinary movements sound grand.

On "Ahab's Ghost," At Odds' finest track, they employ a three-note, guitar-plucked accent that repeats for the entirety of the song. This sequence couldn't be simpler in form, but the elegance of its placement is enough to plant the track in your head for days.

For the most part, Fox Jaws' method is homogenous across At Odds, but fractions of their aesthetic can be found in the styles of other bands. On "I Am An Army," the five-piece do their best Diableros impersonation, employing a wash of wailing guitars and distorted vocals. The frantic pace of that song and "The Enabler" are also reminiscent of Spiral Beach's exuberance. The album's first two tracks — a stab at the grandiosity of Young Galaxy's "Outside The City" — will have you fooled into thinking this is a different record than it turns out to be.

At Odds takes a few songs to find its footing, but by the time mid-disc stomper "Youth Dance" comes to a close, you'll be totally hooked. Fox Jaws' full-length debut, Goodbye Doris, was an impressive album, but At Odds is a rapid and significant improvement. It has the potential to be one of the best Canadian releases of the year.