Kylie Fox balances looks backward and moves forward with her double-strength single Confetti / Alberta — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
There are two ways you can approach nostalgia: You can either reject it as a seductive illusion, or you can concede that it may have a point. Fredericton alt-rocker Fox opts for a little of both on her two-sided single, offering a pair of distinct yet complementary visions of yesterday.
A jaunty, jocular “no” to the specters of the past, Confetti finds Fox fielding the sudden, unexpected entreaties of an old boyfriend who had dropped her like a hot potato after deciding there might be more opportunities for “glitter on [his] sleeve” without her around — but who is now having second thoughts:
“There is no alternate universe for us, babe
I’m not your Scorpio, you aren’t my twin flame
So don’t waste my time with elegies of you and me
I was there too
I remember it clearly
The rose and the rust, and the end of the story.”
“It’s a bright and brooding alternative rock ballad that speaks to the nostalgia of novelty,” Fox explains. “I was thinking about how the newness of romance can fall and simply be swept away — like confetti.”
Meanwhile, for many young Canadians, heading west to work as tree planters is a rite of passage — exchanging the warmth of home for the expanse of Alberta and B.C. Like Fox’s reflection in Alberta, this journey often brings a mix of longing and resilience, as they navigate the vast, unfamiliar landscapes while yearning for the comfort of the life they left behind:
“Though the work it was hard
And the mountains they were cold
Still I had arms to hold around me
I’m worried about Alberta.”
The music is somewhat slower and more somber than Confetti’s, yet every bit as captivating. What we have here are two instant earworms that are the perfect conduits for Fox’s alternately homey and obscure lyrical sentiments.
The videos for the two tracks likewise represent opposite sides of the same thematic coin. On paper, both focus on the performing charisma of Fox and her band (lead guitarist Sean Hutchins, bassist Camilo Villamizar, keyboardist Kelly Waterhouse and drummer Ryan Barrie). But the Confetti clip adds a layer of thrift-shop glamour to a group rehearsal, whereas Alberta is a more naturalistic, video-verité montage of life on the road.
Both songs are from Fox’s new album Sequoia, and each in its way buttresses the album’s central philosophical motif: Acknowledging those moments in life when we don’t realize what we have, while simultaneously uplifting love and life as blessings to treasure. Helmed by ECMA-winning producer Daniel Ledwell (Jenn Grant, Fortunate Ones), the new album is deeply rooted in the folk-Canadiana elements Fox is known for, while also dipping its toe into folk-rock and jazz-pop fusion.
Fox has been turning heads and pricking up ears ever since she dropped her debut EP Balcony, in 2017, then followed it up with her album Green in 2020. She has shared stages with the likes of Bahamas, Strumbellas and Joel Plaskett, showcased at the East Coast Music Awards, Folk Alliance International and the Canadian Song Conference, participated in the Banff Centre for the Arts International Songwriting Residency, and been featured at festivals like the Cavendish Beach Music Festival and Area506. Fox was named Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2020 PrixNB Awards and Innovator of the Year at the 2023 ceremonies.
Watch the videos for Confetti and Alberta above, listen to Sequoia below, and find Kylie Fox on her website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
