Impossible dreams...

My dream of rushing into my local HMV on the albums’ day of release was shattered following a frustrating mix-up at the store. Not a copy in sight, and the one they had ordered for me had been lost. So I had to wait a couple more days than I had hoped, to get my copy of From Trash. It was particularly aggravating, since I had seen the new album for real, on sale at John’s Cathedral Oceans performance in Leeds, just two days earlier. Anyway, thanks to Music Non Stop, From Trash made its way into my little world just this morning.

First impressions were very positive – having heard three tracks performed live when I saw John and Louis live in Sheffield back in July, and subsequently a few more previews on John’s MySpace page, I had a good idea of what was in store.

From Trash begins in a similar mood to 2003's highly acclaimed Crash and Burn album, however its overall sound and style have a much more contemporary flavour, despite being built up of analogue synths. "Freeze Frame" and "From Trash" are the only tracks still in the Crash and Burn vein. I had grown accustomed to the extended version of "Freeze Frame" on CD2 of The Hidden Man, so I was a little sad to hear the nice ending cut short on the final album edit.

"A Million Cars" stands out as the album's biggest track, followed by "Impossible", and "Friendly Fire" – tracks that all sound like they could be hit singles. I was expecting "Impossible" to be the main standout track, having heard the live version, but for me, the album version initially lacks the vocal power of the live performance. However musically, it is perhaps the strongest track on the album, although I feel the vocal distortion on the chorus, lets it down slightly, which is a shame, but that doesn’t stop it being a fantastic song.

"Another You" grabbed my attention immediately, and along with "The One Who Walks Through You" and "A Million Cars", reminded me of the Travelogue-era Human League. "A Room As Big As A City" neatly combines a slightly Beatlesy vocal with something quite similar to Kraftwerk's "Neon Lights". The album's shortest track, "Never Let Me Go" is some sort of intense and emotional sci-fi ballad. Very unusual. One track I keep coming back to, is the closing track “The One Who Walks Through You”, which might have sounded quite at home on Shifting City.

"Your Kisses Burn" is a new version of the Nation12 track that appeared on Electrofear. It makes a strong piece of dark, synth pop, and is quite unlike the original version. I was actually hoping for a more upbeat, polished take, closer in style to the original, but this is far from it.

From Trash is not like any of Foxx and Gordon's previous collaborations, although the song writing remains typically Foxx, with the recurring themes of cars and cities. The overall sound of the album is much tighter and consistent, and at just over 45 minutes, it's the perfect length.

From Trash contains some of Foxx's best song writing in a while, and the quality of the music perhaps reflects what has been the most prolific year in his career.

Review by Alex Storer 8.11.06