Nashville, Tennessee based alternative artist, Bryce Fox has just released his EP, "The Butterfly", which is the partner project to his other EP released earlier this year, "The Bomb".
“Being married and having a kid really shaped this new music and gave it such a different tone. I’m a concerned father now and I’m definitely thinking about the world differently now that my son is here, and that’s reflected in my music. My energy has changed so much. I’m not chasing girls in LA anymore; my music is more existential and more concerned with the bigger world." - Bryce Fox
TRACKLIST
Butterfly
Other People
Shadows
Drip
Sense of Humor
Bryce Fox was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana. He grew up playing saxophone in jazz band and experimenting with his own home recording and production. While in college, he received a cancer diagnosis which pushed him to move to Los Angeles, California where he spent the first entire decade pursuing his music career. Bryce officially debuted as an artist in 2016 with his single "Burn Fast" and has not stopped releasing original music and various remixes since. He's gained millions of streams across all platforms and currently has over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His 2017 song "Horns" off of his debut album "Heaven On Hold" went RIAA certified Gold. He's gained praise from major media outlets such as NYLON, Billboard and Earmilk. He's also performed with the likes of Matt Maeson, Charlotte Cardin, and Frenship. Bryce Fox takes a blend of diverse sounds and all styles of mainstream music to create what he calls a melting pot genre that doesn't sound like any other artist, but can appeal to just about anyone. As mentioned, "The Butterfly" goes hand in hand with Bryce's previous EP, "The Bomb" which we also reviewed. If you'd like to start with that, you can find it right here.
Butterfly
We start off the EP with the song "Butterfly" which really sums up Bryce's life and feelings in the past few years from falling in love, getting married and the birth of his son. The happiness and joy that Bryce has found within his life and new family is beautiful beyond words, but you can really feel it in this song. It's so crazy how meeting one person can change your entire lookout on existence, and that's exactly what happened here. "Butterfly" is a cathartic pop rock song with a mixture of soft and heavy. The verses feature twangy, finger-picked acoustic guitar while the chorus gives you electric guitar and a heavy drum beat while Bryce sings the catchiest hook melody ever paired with easily quotable lyrics. One of my personal favorite lines has to be "Fight for the dream to come alive, no matter where you get it from", meaning that no matter what others say, or how big or small, if you have a dream, that dream is yours and you should do whatever it takes to make it come true. I really suggest watching the music video along with this song, as it shows clips of Bryce with his wife and son, really helping you visualize how important this song is to him.
Other People
Next we have "Other People" which is about observing other happy couples around you, and realizing that your own relationship isn't going so well. So, you make the suggestion that maybe you both should start seeing other people because you don't want to waste time with each other if you're unhappy - or maybe the experience will help you learn that you were right for each other all along. "Other People" is designed to get stuck in your head, so be prepared. The hook is the catchy beyond description. The way Bryce is able to flawlessly repeat the words "other people" within one line and make it work and sound super catchy is genius. You will be singing along with the chorus by the end of the song. "Other People" is groovy, and has a rhythm that will have you moving. It has emphasis on acoustic guitar with heavy bass, a classic drum feel, and a psychedelic electric guitar solo break down.
Shadows
"Shadows" is about being haunted by your past self, and feeling like you'll never be able to fully escape that part of who you used to be. People really can and do change, and when we love ourselves enough, we do it for the better. However, sometimes we get reminded of mistakes we've made, the struggles we faced, and that pain, regret and guilt all starts rushing back in. Sometimes you feel like it doesn't matter that you're a different person now because that past will always be a part of who you are. "Shadows" starts with down strums of a gentle electric guitar and the ear-worm hook. As the track goes on, it uses some EDM production elements to create this haunting yet energetic soundscape that keeps you captivated.
Drip
"Drip" compares the addicting desire of a romantic interest to the high of like being on drugs. They're not good for you, but you can't help but want them. There's something so intriguing and thrilling about how bad they are for you. He uses skin-crawling yet poetic words like "parasitic charm" to really set the scene. This song has a unique production style with a fantastic rhythm and groove. The hook has some funk to it, with lots of bass and low pitched vocals to give it a nostalgic RnB tone. The way this song flows and progresses keeps you on your toes in the best way. You almost get lost in it's euphoric and ethereal timbre and resonance.
Sense of Humor
We end the EP with the song "Sense of Humor"; a dark, haunting track to leave chills down your spine. The song puts emphasis on acoustic guitar, using folk and blues tones with sustained and seventh chords to create this eerie atmosphere, as well as a cinematic drum and production. "Sense of Humor" is about being tricked into falling in love with somebody who doesn't show their true colors until later on. You come to find that they're not a good person, but at this point it's too late and you're already hurt. Bryce sings, "Some say god got a strange sense of humor", because he thought he was getting involved with an angel who turned out to be the complete opposite of who he thought she was. Bryce shows off a lot of range, as well as some twang and grit, demonstrating the incredible diversity in his voice.
Bryce Fox has done it again with his second EP of this year, "The Butterfly". I thought "The Bomb" was an emotional project, but I feel "The Butterfly" dives even deeper into those vulnerable topics that Bryce has been trying to explore within this new sound and journey of his. Every song on this EP is a banger after banger after banger. It's an absolute no skips piece of art. I was blown away by every single aspect in each and every song. The lyricism was deep and poetic, the vocals and melodies were addicting and ear-pleasing, the instrumentations and the production were beyond catchy and a phenomenal quality. Every song was a different sound and style; I love that Bryce doesn't define himself to one area because I heard so many different genres through this EP that could make anyone fall in love with his music. If you haven't heard "The Bomb", I highly suggest listening to that as well. Both of these EP's are a part of something bigger to come in 2025, so make sure to follow Bryce below and keep tabs. He's also going on tour in Spring of 2025 with rock band AWOLNATION so get your tickets here!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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