Foals - Holy Fire
- Written by Carris Boast
Foals are finally on their return. Far and away from the sweaty tour buses, the unwashed band members playing battered guitars and the dark, cramped music halls of the live circuit, the band manage to capture a real sense of serenity on intoxicating third album Holy Fire. But will it be enough to satisfy their ever-growing fan base?
Foals have had their far share of naysayers over the years, and arguably now more than ever due to their past successes and current favour in the music press, so you could forgive them for letting these critics get to them. However, fans will be pleased to know that Foals have clung onto their fighting spirit, even as they carry themselves with gusto through the fierce trenches of making a third album. Holy Fire sits comfortably between the raw passion that was Antidotes and the synth infused bravery of Total Life Forever. With a darker, but still familiar sound Foals perhaps have the right to be a little overconfident when it comes to Holy Fire.
The album starts with ‘Prelude’; a burning buzz of fuzzed guitars accompanied by the hazed, distant vocals of lead singer Yannis Philippakis. We are then quickly beckoned towards the hypnotic noise of ‘Inhaler’, that jolts and sways the stretched wails and screams into a dark, understated tonic. Holy Fire builds anticipation by carrying likeable, memorable choruses and offbeat rhythms that care to be anything other than ordinary. Still sticking to the distinctive Foals sound they build and break from defused, ominous tones into epic, cult-like uproars that can be found in songs such as ‘Milk & Black Spiders’ and ‘Everytime’.
The blast of disorder that is ‘Providence’ starts calmly, sounding like a call to arms for all who will join in Foals' revolt. Though Philippakis' voice is delicate, it rockets the track into a chaotic build of synths, guitars and overexcited drums, getting more and more intense as the song goes on. ‘Stepson’ and ‘Moon’ bring the album to a quiet close, a relaxing cool-down after the hefty workout our ears get in the ruckus of the rest of the album. Offbeat claps and unblemished chimes have a distinctive, dreamlike tone which floats you through a harmonious, watery mix of unadulterated elegance.
Each song flows nicely into the next, but each still has an originality that makes this album sound like no other. Foals have outdone themselves with Holy Fire, and it will be hard to top when it comes to writing their next album. Good luck to them.
Holy Fire is out now and available from amazon