Foals

on-trend ornithological images though.

The new album is such a marked improvement on the last one.

That must mean the new album is absolutely fantastic then, loved the debut a ton.

I mainly liked the first one and the singles especially but they've obviously thought this one out much better. The elements are all woven into the whole better, there's a load of acid house dynamics, they do this thing called (something like) the human Steve Reich emulator. The main touch points are Fela, late 80s imperial Cure and, bonus, they've got rid of the few bits that sound like Bloc Party.

Consider me excited in that case! Sounds pretty great to me.

There's a track called Miami which they're talking up as their "hip hop" track but if you ignore that (they clearly have a less firm grip on hip hop and R&B than even me) and appreciate it for what it is, some kind of derranged mix of yacht rock and Cities In Dust by Siouxsie and Sir Victor Uwaifo...

Surprised how little love Total Life Forever is getting in critical circles so far. It's bowled me over in my first couple listens. It sounds like the record everybody hoped the last one would be.

Yeah, I've been enjoying the reviews thus far. Loved the last one, so I'm anxious to hear this. Not out physically in the U.S. til mid-June though.

got back from their show in hometown Oxford about an hour ago. The kids were mad for it. The new stuff sounded great (esp. "Total Life Forever" which they opened with). It was a great vibe: they had members of Jonquil, the support act, come on to play percussion and trumpet during the encore.

I gave the new one a chance but it sounded kind of dreary - they've got good ideas but they're trapped in the framework of this 00s indie orthodoxy. The singer sort of meanders over the top, hardly anything to really grab the attention. Dull.

I hadn't noticed before how short the singer is - he's a good head down on the rest of the band

but that's because half the band are very talk...

greek people are little

I'm not sure I like the tempo of the songs. It also sounds a bit tired and groggy, perhaps because they're so good and energetic live.

can't think of a second album by a british rock band that's come out in the last 5 years or so that improves on the first album as much as this does.

i can go without most of this band's output but i fux with this "my number" song

hitting bloc party / british indie pleasure centres that haven't been hit at properly in a long time

my number has been stuck in my head for days, great song. didn't enjoy the rest of the album much when i played it though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2wjFeHTaWg

^ Hot Chip remix btw

um:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2wjFeHTaWg

Not sure what to make of that myself, loses most of the propulsion and highlights his horrible voice a bit too much

This album is full of terrific instrumental hooks but good lord the voice. Like I know they're called Foals and everything but he actually sounds like a lowing calf.

so..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTwwpcWggXI

I seem to be the only person who thinks the vocals are fine, makes me think of a less inventive Chino Moreno

anyway I enjoy the big dumb sounds made by this band, basically the only nu-britrock outfit I have time for

especially because of the vocals "london thunder" sounds exactly like my morning jacket, which isn't a bad thing

"a knife in the ocean" = teeth of the sea

Releasing two albums this year, because why not

the first single "Exits" is...ok. Not as spry as I generally like their singles to be, but I'm glad they seem to have sensed they pushed the "rocking out" elements as far as it was wise to go on the last album

haven't really listened to anything since the second album but love 'exits'

Their best for a long while

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w_4FJip7sY