Fozzy Mare continues down the glimmery indie-folk path with their album "Staring Contest."

After more than seven hundred days in gestation, the curtains were withdrawn from Fozzy Mare's "Staring Contest." For the inaugural album, the indie moniker has sculpted a soundscape that comes off as personal and close to the heart. The ten songs comprising share simpler yet nuanced characteristics, meant to immerse the listener in a riveting journey.

The Baltimore-based outfit, initiated by the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Gibbons (who also played a major role in finishing this project), appeared first in the folk scene with "Old Ohio" (2022). There's a distinct DIY bedroom-production sound, turning away from superficial polished sheen that would contradict the grounded folk signature--- mostly acoustic, a conflicted, bittersweet chorus unfolds repeatedly with the unison singing. One could close eyes and imagine the performance rendered live, the absence of studio-grade production introducing spontaneous sonic imperfections such as textures and asymmetric, overlapping elements.

Months later, "Bessy" put the group in the deserved spotlight: over ten thousand listeners have experienced this mellow tune so far, consisting of softly twanging guitars and layered vocals. By this point, it was clear the band pursued not only a folksy sound, but something hazy and dream-like (such as the stack of reverb-drenched and jangling guitars coinciding with vocal harmonies). This is much confirmed in the lullaby-esque album opener "Canyon" (its music video featuring dust-speckled film of riders galloping over American frontiers).

Proceeding after the heartwarming "Patio" in the LP, "Eyes" buzzes intensely due to grungy guitars as it reaches its apex, nearly overshadowing the vocalizations. The minute-long interlude "Bath Salts" sounds relaxing as the title suggests, with dainty vocals interwoven beside soft-driven guitar riffs in a melodic conjunction. "Bobby" brings an excited, angst-heavy temperament in the midst of chiming accompaniments; a quality that also resonates towards the end in "Fool," which unfolds more as a free-flowing instrumental, a five-minute-long showcase that fuses dreamy effects like subtly echoing notes and intervals of forlorn singing.

Stream "Staring Contest" on Spotify and Bandcamp, and stay tuned with Fozzy Mare on Instagram.