Foals - What Went Down - Review

A quick review... as most of my "music" time has been spent playing vinyl. Yes, I finally decided to stop buying CD's and follow the crowd into the 21st Century (or back to the 20th century?! :/) and opt for the hug-able form of vinyl records. There really aren't many things better than browsing vinyl. A reason why I will never ever buy vinyl from the internet (I mean, really? What is the point in that). Tesco are stocking vinyl. Don't get me started. However, I urge the other person who reads this blog. DO NOT BUY VINYL FROM TESCO. Thank you.

So, Foals. The "math-rock" outfit from Oxford (only Radiohead to live up to then... ) Having used the term "math-rock" (yeah, what the fuck is that?), they are in fact a million miles away from that. The horribly average "Holy Fire" saw a change in their musical style, which for me was a step backwards and a huge stride away from what made Foals so appealing. "Total Life Forever" was lush in it's production and beautifully layered at times. More than anything, it was an incredibly catchy album, that made you want to dance. Yeah, even me.

So, 2015 has brought 'What Went Down' to the table. Early singles, 'What Went Down" and "Mountain at my Gates" both set the tone for a heavier, grittier album. The former I wasn't keen on at first, but it grew on me slightly. "Mountain at my Gates" however, I was a fan of from the outset. Yannis' vocals especially on this single are great. He really drives his voice through here and the outro of "Gimme my, Gimme me, Gimme my..." set against the hard hitting drums are a album highlight. Sure to be amazing live, I'd imagine. The hard hitting heights really do end here however... A frustration for anyone who really liked the feel of the opening two.

"Birch Tree" is a more classic Foals feel type of song. Which does kind of make the first two songs a false representation of where the band are going. Nevertheless, I like this track a lot. It's bass riff sets the tone, the guitars are twangy and minimal and Yannis' vocals are soothing. Towards the end, you are getting close to feeling the "Total Life Forever" and "Antidotes" vibe once more. Like I said, classic Foals. "Give it all" is next and really is an album highlight. This is a gorgeous track, with albeit another shift in style. The hollow and synthy intro, flows into a lovely and atmospheric blast of "Wooooooo, Wooooooo, Wooooooo"''s from Yannis that have to be heard to be greatly appreciated! Pitchfork, sign me up...

The next two tracks serve one purpose. Not to be listened to. "Snake Oil" I can actually listen to at a push, but "Albatross" I can't. I have no idea what the band are trying to achieve in these tracks. They are B-side quality at best,  So, moving on to "Night Swimmers". Back to classic foals again! At this point, you enjoy individual moments, but there really seems to be confusion over what the band want. The bass and guitar work in perfect harmony here. Yannis' vocals are nice one again, even if what he is saying really isn't that interesting. At 2 minutes 20 however, the track does push the boat out a little with a grittier guitar sound to counter-act the twangy, indie hooks. It's bass and hard hitting back drop does provide a glimpse of what Foals could have produced more of if they had more ideas. A snapshot of what could have been? It doesn't reinvent the wheel by any stretch but it's something more akin to what the album looked like it was promising from the openers.

"London Thunder" is the classic (or perhaps obligatory) slow Foals ballad. The vocal delivery and build up of sound delivered in the chorus is decent, but outside of this there isn't a great deal to get excited about. The lyrics provide moments, but nothing compared to the imagery of say, "Spanish Sahara". "Lonely Hunter" is a real grower. Despite a pretty horrible intro (reminiscent of MK Ultra - Muse), which does sound like a Bond song intro it is a good track with a belter of a chorus. Yannis' vocals on the chorus are a real delight. "In the deep blue see the whitecaps from the shore
But I can't swim, and it keep me wanting more".

The album closes with another single 'A Knife in the Ocean', which is an average closer. The echo-ey voals of Yannis are the highlight towards the end with a 'Climbing up the Walls' esque wail to round things off. This track does however, sum up the album in it's entirety. When it's good, it is really good... and it certainly has it's moments where it is a enjoyable and instantly recognisible Foals record. At other times, you really are scratching your head wondering where the band are heading and why they occasionally abandon, the formula that made them so like-able. That sounds hypocritical I know, as I do actually prefer that side to Foals. But his half way decision between new and old really doesn't work. Especially in the form of an album. I'm all for bands changing styles. evolving and trying out new ideas. The problem is, I don't think Foals know what they are striving towards.

7/10

Other album reviews:

Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon - 8/10

The Libertines - Anthems for Doomed Youth - 3/10

Chvrches. Disclosure & Kurt Vile all out Friday.

Here is Mountain at my Gates: