Last November the touch paper was lit. What followed sent sparks flying out the speakers of all who listened and ignited a frenzy in the expectant public. Foals were back, and back with a bang.
“Inhaler” is the first single from Foals’ new album ‘Holy Fire’ out in February and the band have taken a new direction for their new album, away from the hi hat, four-on-the floor, dancy ‘Antidotes’ and the brooding ‘Total Life Forever’ to create an album with ‘swampy, stinky grooves’.
Frontman Yannis Philippakis has admitted that Inhaler is the heaviest track on the forthcoming 11 song album but that shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’ve heard the frontman’s voice as he growls about how he, ‘Can’t get enough space’ over a furious riff. Yes that’s right, Foals now play riffs. Of course there are still the trademark staccato rhythms expertly crafted into hypnotic, swaying, oriental loops but you get the sense that the band are much less restrained than they were on their previous album and are ready to unleash something fierce in the next album.
People got a glimpse into the album when Foals embarked on their small November tour, for which some venues sold out in 3 minutes and it was these developments which hint at the biggest challenge Foals will face. With the band becoming increasingly popular it is becoming apparent that the small venues, and indeed house parties, which made this band will not be able to accommodate the masses of people who now want to see them.
My biggest hope is that Foals manage to strike the right balance between their signature style, albeit in a new direction, with a sound that can fill a much larger venue, whilst keeping the immediacy of their fresh music.
Otherwise, there’ll be thousands of people all cramming into venues to keep their fire burning and Yannis certainly wouldn’t get enough space, and we wouldn’t want that, would we?
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Post by Sam
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