Paul Foisy
“Find The Oasis”
(10-track CD, recorded at Wig Wam Studios, Thonotosassa, FL, Paul Foisy (all instruments and vocals), 47:37)

It’s been several years since Foisy’s last album was released- fondly remembered at the Focus compound as one of the most sincere-sounding pop overtures by a local talent. Like fine wine and paying our power bill, these things take a while- since Mr. F. does everything himself (ala Rundgren & McCartney) as a one-man writer/producer/player hitmaking machine. Foisy’s material, of course, is a little more inside and out of the ordinary. At 3-and-a-half to 5 minutes running time, they’re a bit lengthy for any available airwaves. But Foisy’s quirky, self-effacing work is a fete in its own right. Although we’d choke at the thought of a concept work here, Oasis is a fractured song cycle about the myths and travails about our beloved Sunshine State. Like the opening title tune, based on a nice, clean Steely Dan-like guitar break that serves as an anti-travelogue and fair warning about crossing the border south of Georgia. During the disc, Foisy namechecks all the tourist traps (“Roadside Attraction”) and points up our affinity for spare changers (“I Don’t Believe”), while the kitsch of “Mermaid Girl” and the media hoopla of “Last Lap Dance in Tampa” speak for themselves. Make all of your Anti-Buffet jokes now, if you dare, but unlike Jimmy, Foisy is an exceptionally accomplished guitarist. The gorgeous chord structure of the melancholy instrumental, “The Strange Ones,” here is pensive and reflective (like Fleetwood Mac’s “Bare Trees”), where Foisy slowly picks at the tune’s emotional qualities instead of ripping away (Satriani-like) on some high-powered riff. Likewise, the closing cover of Rafael Hernandez’s “El Cumbanchero” is a Santana-like, Latin roustabout, with Foisy adding some delicious surf-like licks to the percussive fest, much like The Mermen. We only deduct a few performance points for the use of a drum machine, where the fatiguing, same-y electro-beats start to distract from Foisy’s excellent leads and nice vocal effects (that Runt influence again). Recommended to open-minded Dead Milkmen, Ween and They Might Be Giants fans.