‘House of Chimes’ is a brand new studio album, an album that Robert himself would probably tell you was something of a surprise, something he really wasn’t expecting – wasn’t his 2019 release ‘Phoenix Rising’ his swan song? And yet, here we are, deep into 2020 and Robert Fox still has something relevant to say! Let us be clear…’House of Chimes’ is a very deep, dare we say, “dark” album…it is not your usual Robert Fox fare. It’s a far cry from ‘Asfafa’ or ‘Blue Mountains’…it has a dark intensity which takes a few listens to get into. But, if you’re prepared to give it a few listens you will discover a very rewarding experience. The usual Robert Fox ‘big chords’ are in evidence, but for the most part everything is at a regal pace, unhurried and punctuated regularly with treated instrumental vocal refrains that are both thought provoking and evocative. The music drifts but it drifts with a purpose that becomes more apparent with each new listen. A couple of tracks hark back to Code Indigo days, highlighting catchy percussive rhythms – the excellent ‘Devil’s Puzzle’ (check out the video) and the catchy base line and accompaniment on ‘Dark Mirror’. This is an album that some may feel will resonate with the times, as epitomised by track 5 ‘Lockdown’. It is technically, probably, the best Robert Fox album to date with exceptionally high production values and we believe time will show as his most involving and most creative.
