(New) Music Makes Me Lose Control

-Album Reviews for Inquiring Minds-

Artist- Itch

Album- The Deep End

Ten-Second Bio- Jonny “Itch” Fox, a UK artist who hails from the Red Bull Records collective, brings a set of particular skills to The Deep End.  Those skills revolve around seamlessly blending the energy of punk rock with the lyricism of hip hop.  The Deep End is Itch’s debut album and follows his 2012 break from the ska punk group The King Blues.

What Can My Ears Expect? – The Deep End serves as a canvas in which Itch is able to really explore the studio space, as per Christopher Walken.  Being his first full length solo album, Itch uses The Deep End as the transition spring board that every new musician needs to find their sound.  In The Deep End, Itch is able to bring out both his ska influenced background, while pushing into elements of the hip-hop world. 

Tracks such as “Homeless Romantic” serve to highlight exactly why Itch is on the list of next big artists, teaming with Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara, he is able to bring a catchy hook on a pop punk track that will have Taking Back Sunday fans seeing shades of Tell All Your Friends circa “You’re So Last Summer”.

In regards to the hip-hop side of the album, the opening beats on “Best Shot” seem to be prepping Itch to take on all his challengers, with a in your face pip-pop.  It reminded me of a Linkin Park anthem and served as another layer of style on the album.

What Will Their Words Say?-Fox’s lyrics range from the exhaustion of chasing true love in “Homeless Romantic” to putting up a never say die front on “Best Shot”. Along the way, Itch makes note of liberating oneself from the boundaries that society places on him in “Not My Revolution”. 

Target Audience-Talking Back Sunday, The King Blues, The Skints, Linkin Park

 Key Tracks from The Deep End– “Best Shot”, “Homeless Romantic”, “Laugh“,  “Not My Revolution”

Grade: Solid 7.5 (out of 10)