''Foma'' is the second album by the American band

the Nixons The Nixons are an American alternative rock band formed in 1989. They found commercial success during the mid-1990s, releasing two albums through MCA Records in 1995–1997. The band is best known for the hit singles "Sister" and "Wire" from ...

, released in 1995. Its title was inspired by the 1963 novel ''

Cat's Cradle Cat's cradle is a game involving the creation of various string figures between the fingers, either individually or by passing a loop of string back and forth between two or more players. The true origin of the name is debated, though the fi ...

'', by

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

. "Foma" is defined in the album's liner notes as "harmless untruths intended to comfort simple souls; lies." ''Foma'' has sold more than 500,000 copies. The Nixons supported the album by touring with

Gravity Kills Gravity Kills was an American industrial rock band from St. Louis, Missouri. Their music was described by one critic as "a blending of eerie industrial rock with a pop-infused melodic chorus and a bit of hard-core head banging."Jacquie Kubin, "J ...

. "Sister" was a hit on alternative rock radio.

Production

Recorded in Hollywood, the album was produced by

Mark Dodson Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fin ...

and the band. Seven of the tracks are rerecorded songs from the band's debut; of the remaining six, only three were written specifically for ''Foma''.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

staff writer Erik Crawford wrote "''Foma'' opens with a scream and then delivers a hard rock romp that will delight fans of the heavy alternative genre". The ''

St. Petersburg Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...

'' praised the "aggressively hard-rockin' yet intelligent borderline metal sound." ''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

'' labeled ''Foma'' "old-fashioned big-statement rock with big-statement chords." The ''

Dallas Observer ''Dallas Observer'' is a free digital and print publication based in Dallas, Texas. The ''Observer'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music, and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...

'' called the album "enervating musically and downright silly and infuriating lyrically ... Which means, in short, they ain't no damn good any way you slice it." ''

The Santa Fe New Mexican ''The Santa Fe New Mexican'' or simply ''The New Mexican'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dubbed "the West's oldest newspaper," its first issue was printed on November 28, 1849. Background The downtown offices for ''T ...

'' concluded that "with the exception of 'Sister', none of the 13 cuts on ''Foma'' stand out either musically or lyrically; they are not particularly distinguishable from the general din that is modern rock radio." ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'' deemed the band "pleasantly derivative."

Track listing

All songs by

The Nixons The Nixons are an American alternative rock band formed in 1989. They found commercial success during the mid-1990s, releasing two albums through MCA Records in 1995–1997. The band is best known for the hit singles "Sister" and "Wire" from ...

/Lyrics by Zac Maloy except where indicated. # "Foma" – 3:13 # "Head" – 4:05 # "Sweet Beyond" – 3:32 # "Sister" – 4:28 # "Smile" – 4:07 # "JLM" (''

Jesus Loves Me "Jesus Loves Me" is a Christian hymn written by Anna Bartlett Warner (1827–1915). The lyrics first appeared as a poem in the context of an 1860 novel called ''Say and Seal'', written by her older sister Susan Warner (1819–1885), in which t ...

'') (

William Batchelder Bradbury William Batchelder Bradbury (October 6, 1816 – January 7, 1868) was a musician who composed the tune to " Jesus Loves Me" and many other popular hymns. Biography He was born on October 6, 1816, in York, Maine, where his father was the leader o ...

Anna Bartlett Warner Anna Bartlett Warner (August 31, 1827 – January 22, 1915) was an American writer, the author of several books, and of poems set to music as hymns and religious songs for children. Biography Anna Bartlett Warner was born on Long Island on August ...

) – 0:24 # "Fellowship" – 4:12 # "Wire" – 5:15 # "Trampoline" – 4:44 # "Drink the Fear" – 4:36 # "Blind" – 5:56 # "Passion" – 4:28 # "Happy Song" – 6:18

Personnel

*Ricky Brooks –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

*Jesse Davis –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

*Zac Maloy –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

*John Humphrey –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Additional personnel

*C.J. DeVillar – engineer *

– engineer, producer *Willie Dowling – string arrangements *Eric Fischer – mixing assistant *Kelle Musgrave – production coordination *Eddy Schreyer – mastering *Michele Sepe – angel's voice *Mike Stock – engineer *

Glenn Tipton Glenn Raymond Tipton (born 25 October 1947) is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for heavy metal band Judas Priest. Early life and ...

– guitar solo on "Drink the Fear" *Toby Wright – mixing

Charts

Album -

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

(United States) Singles - Billboard (United States)

References

{{Authority control 1995 albums The Nixons albums MCA Records albums