The Stone Foxes - Small Fires (2013)4)

The fourth studio album from San Francisco's The Stone Foxes is the first recorded after the departure of Avi Vinocur, who played guitar and bass and contributed singing and songwriting. Now with Elliott Peltzman filling in the cracks with vintage keyboard tones, long gone are the charged gang vocals shouted over '90s-flavored alt-country blueprints. “Everybody Knows” sets the mood with rootsy tones that follow heady arrangements and vocal harmonies that balance release and restraint. “Ulysses Jones” reveals a grittier blues-rock direction that pulls inspiration from bygone bands like The James Gang and Creedence Clearwater Revival while maintaining a fresh approach that has more in common with Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, and Wilco. “Cotto” has vestiges of the band’s earlier tendency to play bombastic roots-rock with big boomy rhythms and anthemic choruses. Conversely, the title track hints at a newfound songwriting sophistication, where the timeless resonance of the band's vintage gear is contrasted with innovative production. “Battles, Blades & Bones” finds the band taking on twangy balladry.