3 out of 5

Produced by: ?

Label: Lavasocks Records

A Clash-riffing cover image firstly makes sense for Foxx Bodies, as the group operates in an aggressive, poppy punk rock vein that feels like a modernized, youthy extension of the band, but also, they’re covering Know Your Rights on the B-side. This is, interestingly, the weaker of the two tracks, not because of performance or passion – yowled vocals, a tight rhythm section; Foxx sells both the toe-tapping catchiness of the song and its politics (its sneering takedown of the kind of cultural freedoms we enjoy… if you’re rich and white; still timely) – but rather because it sounds like the group slowing down the The Clash’s speed a bit. The lyrics, despite being relevant, aren’t really Strummer’s best, falling off in their clever ire in the latter verses, and the marching pace of the tune just doesn’t take advantage of Bodies’ energy. So it’s a good track, and a fun cover, but sits behind how memorable A-side Victim One is. Bodies’ skill lies in trawling through some typical topics – relationships, amirite? – and speaking (screaming) about them with clever, cutting passages; similarly, the music can dodge and weave, starting with a great riff and morphing the pace and melody a few times. Via both of these, the song / band still remains incredibly consistent, but ever changing: Victim One keeps escalating, keeps throwing down an emotional pop-punk gauntlet, then picking it back up with a smile, wielding it in a new way.