We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic. For a relatively unknown band releasing only its second album, it’s a rather bold proclamation. Is this a case of Southern California duo Foxygen letting a little indie cred get to its head? Or is this statement a dash of sarcastic self-deprecation? After giving this hectic new album a spin, it seems a little bit of both.

Foxygen brings equal doses facetiousness and swagger to 21st Century Ambassadors. The title track embodies this attitude; it features jokingly cocky lyrics layered over a funky beat. In a voice resembling that of Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, vocalist Sam France sings, “We’re the twenty/lots of money/Philosophers/ambassadors of peace and magic/But if you’re not in class then you cannot answer/You can’t be funny if you want to make money now.” Foxygen was bringing it. I was not disappointed.

In the song “No Destruction,” France imitates the vocal intonation of Bob Dylan as he tells an uptight girlfriend to relax. He drops a bunch of witty one-liners that make fun of her pretension, such as “You need someone who smokes pot in the subway” and “There’s no need to be an asshole/you’re not in Brooklyn anymore.” In the chorus, he tells her, “Oh, you’re so destructive to me,” letting her know that her attitude is stifling him. This song provides great insight into Foxygen’s persona: two dudes who are not afraid to buck convention.

While many of the songs contain classic rock references, the best songs off the album have a more modern feel. “Shuggie,” one of its gems, has the makings of a modern psychedelic song; it sounds like it could have come off MGMT’s Congratulations. The listener is taken on a wild journey of changes in ambiance and tempo and is ultimately left with a memorable melody. My favorite song from the album is “San Francisco,” a track where Foxygen showcases its self-deprecating side. The chorus is a comical call and response in which France sings “I left my love in San Francisco.” A female voice then responds “That’s okay, I was bored anyway.” This call and response repeats itself four times in the chorus, a metaphor displaying both the band’s spunk and its prescience; the band members understand that they may be turned down, but they are going to continue to do their thing anyway. They also use a bit of tongue-in-cheek songwriting in choosing San Francisco. By setting a failed love scene there, these Los Angeles boys make a friendly jab at their cross-state rival city.

While this album does have a consistent lyrical theme, the style of music varies considerably within individual songs and within the album as a whole. But this disharmony between songs, and even within songs, ends up adding to the beauty of the album. Listening to this album is like riding a roller coaster blind; just as you’re getting comfortable, the roller coaster suddenly makes a loop or takes a sharp turn. Throughout my first few listens, I found these diversions annoying, but after learning to appreciate this album for what it is, I began to enjoy the disjointedness.

Foxygen is not trying to create a magnum opus, but rather to make music that is fun to listen to. At this the duo succeeds  admirably. This album should not be critiqued for its disorder, but lauded for its diverse array of influences. Give it a listen; one of the better albums of this short year has been crafted at the whims of two California boys.