Has it ever struck you that this planet we all share might be getting … well, meaner? Colder? Less conducive to a rewarding, peaceful time for everybody who has to live here? Peter Foldy has certainly noticed. And on the lead track from his new EP entitled “Toxic World (Remastered),” the iconic Canadian singer-songwriter declares his dismay over the situation in no uncertain terms.
“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” he sings, over a deceptively skipping rhythm and a rolling acoustic-guitar figure that make for a perfectly ironic counterpoint to the grave subject matter. “People talking hate, they don’t know right from wrong.”
When he reaches the song’s totally cathartic chorus, his observations have attained the level of a full-on lament:
Baby can’t you see, we’re living in a toxic world?
People running scared, forgetting that love is the word
Yet just as you’re starting to worry we might be verging on terrain here that’s simplistic or naïve, the next verse shrinks and personalizes Foldy’s weltschmerz into a plea to his significant other that they need to draw closer to each other, because a toxic world is nothing to face alone.
Do you remember back when we were young?
I was the shoulder you were leaning on
We made some love, we shed some tears
And now I seem to need you more than ever
If we stay united, we’ll help each other carry on
Now that’s a great protest song: the kind that understands the only real defense against a rapidly fracturing society is the eternal power of two.
A previous version of “Toxic World” was first released in 2019, but Foldy admits that it kind of “fell through the cracks once Covid hit in 2020. I wanted to give the song another chance.” Hence its re-emergence as one of the standout numbers on his new EP, Peter Foldy – Collection, a six-song compilation of some of his personal favorite recordings of the last few years plus two brand-new tracks. To hear him tell it, the need for such a remedial lesson in his recent history was abundantly clear: “In the last five years, I’ve refined my musical style to encompass a more contemporary sound.”
To that end, “Toxic World (Remastered)” and “Friend-Zone” bask in the co-production skills of thoroughly modern hitmaker Miklos Malek, who has in the past made magic with the likes of Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez. Other stellar entries like “Jump Like This” and “The Only Thing That Matters” (Foldy’s most recent single release) help flesh out a program of catchy pop that has immediate and obvious appeal across the formats of Hot AC, CHR and AC.
The EP is merely the latest triumph for the Budapest-born, Syndey-raised Foldy, who became a chart sensation shortly after immigrating to Toronto in the early ’70s. His debut single, “Bondi Junction,” climbed all the way to #1 in Canada, and it netted him not one but two JUNO Award nominations. Subsequent hits like “Roxanne” and “Julie-Ann” solidified his place in the music world, leading to signings with major labels in Canada and the U.S.
A relocation to Los Angeles to capitalize on that momentum instead ended up taking Foldy down a wholly unexpected parallel career path: As a screenwriter and ultimately a film director, he got to work with some of the top names in Hollywood, including Paul Rudd, Beverly D’Angelo and Eugene Levy. He also gained recognition for his work as an accomplished photographer, with a series of well-received exhibits of his visually arresting images.
Through it all, though, Foldy’s passion for music remained steadfast, and he’s recently been enjoying a recording Renaissance that’s been bolstered by the support of his legion of fans on social media. His updated style has been a big hit with today’s audiences, making him a favorite across streaming platforms worldwide. Peter Foldy – Collection both celebrates that evolution and offers an enticing hint of what might be yet to come.
So maybe that’s the real key to surviving a “toxic world”: perpetual adaptability and a refusal to put all one’s eggs in one basket. Throw in the love and support of a cherished partner like the one Foldy is singing to, and life in the 21st century doesn’t seem so daunting after all. In fact, when it’s coming out of your favorite set of speakers, it sounds positively great.
