Wear The Fox Hat sees Australian guitarist Iain Mumford assemble the album Fabric Of Life from a collection of songs he wanted to record before he hung up his guitar for live performances.

Release Date: Available Now

Label: Self Released

Format: CD / Streaming

WEAR THE FOX HAT

With Chris Hayward on bass, Wayne Bird on drums and Greg Copeland on vocals making up the rest of Wear The Fox Hat, these 13 tunes make very uplifting listening. There are guest appearances too from Wayne ‘Grover’ Threlfo on keyboard and and Gavinda Abbot on trumpet and flugelhorn. Whoever decided to give the bass lines on this album more front in the mix should be congratulated. As a fully paid up member of the bass player union the prominent bass throughout the album is one of its main features.

Opening with two lively catchy pop tunes will give a refreshing cheery mood to relieve any gloom. Dancing In The Fire is about the global plight we observe daily. Every Minute is a song of regret. It’s full of groovy hooks amidst a full tight sound where energising percussion, cheery brass and crystal clear vocals collide. Metallic Pulse warns of AI usage and certainly has a strong tone being far more rocky with some searing, fuzzy guitar, some slightly cosmic sonic effects develop into another highly danceable tune.

BREEZY LIGHT ROCK

Best Is Yet To Come is a breezy light rock n roll love song providing another contrasting sound to this eclectic album. November Tears may bring a brief end to the foot tapping but this mournful orchestrated ballad expressing the deep loss of his mother but on a positive it shows the versatility of the musical composition.

Southern Magic and Working Trousers revive the lighter mood with a country feel. The latter having a lovely blend of gentle guitar solo and Appalachian banjo to bounce things along evoke family memories and their agricultural connections.

LILTING GUITAR

Conjuring the sounds of the city, this descriptive song is enhanced with lilting guitar work and bluesy keyboards. Strong Forever is dedicated to his wife. There is also a family connection to My Beautiful Girl when he sees the loss of his mother through his father’s eyes. Again, it is entirely different in nature, the latter with a early 70’s Bread feel highlighting that you cannot pin Wear The Fox Hat to a specific time or place or music genre. This is a major strength to the selection of melodies on our plate.

Take Me Back recalls happy memories. Yet again, it is another winsomely appealing tune. Set Me Free has more of emotional punch. This baker’s dozen of bubbly and intimate songs concludes as it began with much cheer. Looking Over My Shoulder has a sweet wistfulness celebrating good times. It is the perfect conclusion to an album of meticulously played tunes with a hidden profound outlook on the good things in life balanced with sadder times.

Although many of his songs are looking back to sad and happy memories there is still a feelgood vibe to the music making the album a very appealing listen.

Wear The Fox Hat online: Bandcamp / Instagram

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