Elliot Fox’s Self Portraits starts with a seven and a half minute banger that simultaneously brings a sense of dread and comfort. The brooding electronic song features the lyrics “My days are numbered now, from here on out in time.” But Fox follows it with “I bet these days go by in time, like your favorite lullaby/And your happy ending’s coming soon.” Self Portraits is full of existential themes: fear, loneliness, doubt. But they’re sung with such confidence and delivered with such energetic music that even at its heaviest moments, you are still moved (physically and emotionally).

The instant catchiness of “Lovers” leads to the ballad-y “The Shiver;” the warm and poppy nature of the former leads to the sparse and chillingly intimate latter. The bait and switch of “The One” with its soft start only to drop into a frenzied chorus (with perfect falsetto). Excellent instrumentals “Someone To Hurt” and “I Am Poison” showcase Fox’s talent outside of his lyrics and vocals. The album codas with the quietly devastating “The Time I Have Spent” bringing the lyrics from the opener back again and heavy hitters like this: “Sleep tight my emerald sphere of dread and despair/All of my fears came true.” Self Portraits is a superb electronic voyage with Fox leading the way.

Favorite Tracks: “The Days I Have Left,” “The One,” & “I Am Poison”