Foals have always been somewhat an acquired
taste. Always on the edges of the mainstream, labelled anything from dance-punk
to math-rock, supported by a fiercely loyal following, it has sometimes seemed
like hard work to really like the Oxford five-piece. But now, with third album
‘Holy Fire’, it feels like Yannis Philippakis and Co. are finally reaching out with their
biggest – and possibly best – effort yet.
The big hitters on ‘Holy Fire’ do the hard work
early on; lead singles ‘Inhaler’ and ‘My Number’ come in at track 2 and 3, and
these huge hits act as a sure-fire route into loving this album. ‘Inhaler’ may
start with a softly bobbing groove and a Yannis falsetto, but soon evolves into
a winding crescendo of guitar before a thunderous riff-heavy chorus that
confirms Foals’ new ambitions. Following swiftly after is ‘My Number’;
extraordinarily catchy, instantly danceable, funky and upbeat, it’s the song of
the summer – in February. And the beachside vibes do not stop there.
‘Holy Fire’ flows brilliantly and there is a
spacious yet summery feel throughout. ‘Bad Habit’ is a bright and funky plea
for a loved one to leave for their own good, while ‘Everytime’ kicks in with
heavier guitars and a sparkling chorus release. ‘Out Of The Woods’ gives the
impression of a summer breeze across a xylophone with a delightful bongo
interlude, while ‘Milk & Black Spiders’ builds an expansive atmosphere with
tight arrangements, coupled with a luscious backing choir and strings, before a
kaleidoscopic mandolin-fuelled finale. It’s simply wonderful.
Two stand-out points on the album come in ‘Late
Night’ and ‘Stepson’, being pleasant subversions rather than interruptions to
the summery indie-pop. ‘Late Night’ may start slow and reflective, but soon
turns midway into a stormy and emotional cry of ‘stay with me!’, it acts as a good half-way point. ‘Stepson’, one
before the end, is simply stunning; sparse, heartfelt and sorrowful, yearning
and emotional, Yannis gives his best vocal and ‘Holy Fire’ has its powerful ‘heart-strings’
moment.
The standard of song writing and musical craft
on ‘Holy Fire’ is outstanding, but if it falls anywhere its on ‘Providence’; a
more urgent and heavy but repetitive track, that just about fails to be saved
by a wildly aggressive rock-out. The album finishes on ‘Moon’; slow and sparse,
it feels like the end and Yannis sings like it is the end of all things – ‘The world is quiet/There is nothing left
unsaid’. A near-perfect end to a near-perfect album.
Foals have not only made one of the albums of
the year, they’ve put themselves up there with the biggest bands. Brilliantly
upbeat and danceable, it’s both artistic and radio-friendly, deep but bright
and sunny, ‘Holy Fire’ ensures Foals make that leap to becoming one of the
country’s best-loved and most-popular. And who thought an album released in
February would be soundtracking your summer?
A brilliant album, one that will feature heavily in the album of the year lists, and here's my favourite track 'My Number'. Enjoy.
NWR
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