Fossil - The Times They Never Change

Enter a mythologised Texan underworld via the work of lo-fi musician and spoken word poet Fossil.

There’s a boy in Texas busy creating myths. All we know about him is that he’s called Fossil, that even his writing is affected by his drawl, and that the background hiss of an amateur recording is part of his cultivated ambience. A dredged-up Soundcloud gem, The Times They Never Change, is the best point of entry into his world: a gripping parable of dark Texan youth, and as much spoken-word poetry as it is musical pleasantry. The tales of Frankie, Tess and the protagonist (presumably Fossil) are told in the first person, allowing us to accept the slightly teen-diary-esque tones (spitting lines like “every song remind me of her” [sic] that run the risk of being trite) as voyeuristically insightful rather than tacky. Fossil’s sombre, sensitive, and cadenced vocals sit comfortably on top of the reverb-laden and repetitive acoustic melodies, just emotional enough to engage when the female voice comes in, and just unusual enough to be not quite soppy. The brave early effort of a very talented myth-maker.

Fossil’s new EP ‘The Devil Tree’ is out soon and continues to unveil the fate of our regularly heartbroken hero; hear two new tracks from that release below (Thanks, DIY!).