I saw the official Foreign Exchange twitter tweeting about their upcoming project when I was half asleep, so I thought I’d post the information about their new album. I am beyond excited for their new project entering stores October 12th (8 days before my birthday, shameless self plug) because both of their projects– Connected, and Leave It All Behind, are classics and my hopes for Authenticity are high as well.
“Authenticity” is the 3rd full-length from indie-soul duo The Foreign Exchange. Picking up where their 2008 Grammy-nominated “Leave It All Behind” set left off, “Authenticity” is the group’s most diverse work to date, with a tight, 11-track song cycle spanning the duo’s trademark brand of lush electronic soul, to stripped down acoustic pieces that recall the heyday of 70′s singer-songwriter driven folk.
Lead single “Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me” is a playful, synth-driven hip-hop groove featuring a rapped verse from Phonte that evokes the band’s “Connected” era, while the epic opener “The Last Fall” finds Phonte singing some of his most cynical lyrics to date (“Love is at worst an excuse/at best it’s a truce…”) over a frenzied Nicolay production jammed with layers of strings, guitars, and dense choral harmonies.
“I think every band reaches that point when they come into their own and find a sound that is distinctively theirs,” says Phonte in reference to the album’s title. “The title refers to me and Nic’s journey to find our own unique space within this vast musical landscape. The biggest challenge as a musician is to find that ‘thing’ that makes you who you are. But I think we’re getting there, and we’re finding our way more and more with each record.”
Featuring guest appearances from longtime contributors YahZarah, Darien Brockington, Zo! and Median, and also relative newcomers Chantae Cann and Jesse Boykins III, “Authenticity” hits stores 10/12 on +FE Music.
Tracklisting
01. The Last Fall
02. Authenticity
03. Eyes To The Sky
04. All Roads
05. Fight For Love
06. Maybe She’ll Dream Of You
07. Don’t Wait
08. Make Me A Fool
09. Everything Must Go
10. Laughing At Your Plans
11. This City Ain’t The Same Without You
