Released in January 2015, luxury beverage catches Fox Academy at an early point, with 15 short songs that lean into lo-fi bedroom pop and the strange hours suggested by the source tags. The cassette grain and tired, floating feel give the set a homespun pull, while the titles keep nudging it sideways, from “grape soda bby” and “girl cabinet” to “perrywinkle murder mystery” and “vampire banquet.” There’s a soft pop instinct here, but it’s surrounded by odd details, sadness, and a willingness to let things feel unfinished.
Michael Todd Berland and Christian Novelli wrote and recorded the album in 2014 between Portland and Cannon Beach, Oregon. That places it firmly in the small, personal world of mid-2010s bedroom music, where a cassette release could feel as important as a polished studio edition. Madl sings on “i see yr cute decor,” Mitch and Daniel supplied extra audio clips, Allison contributed a poem, and Micah Tewers handled the mastering. Fox Academy had only been active since early 2014, and the album still has that sense of two people following an idea wherever it goes. Fans of lo-fi pop, experimental indie, and sleepy late-night songwriting should find plenty to like, especially if a little tape roughness is part of the appeal.
