When talking about the new Foals album two names should suffice: Flood and Alan Moulder. These two producers that guarantee results and a killer sound ranging between rock, pop and electro: between them been they have been instrumental in the careers of bands like Depeche Mode, U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Erasure and many more. The English band decided to put their faith in them for their third release “Hoy Fire”. The album comes three years after the well-received “Total life forever” that included “Spanish Sahara”, one of the best tracks of that year (not by chance used in a number of TV series). Yannis Philippakis and co. started writing the songs in Sidney, Australia, then recorded and perfected them first in Oxford and then in London with Flood and Moulder. The hand of the two producers is immediately felt in the song “Inhaler”, a punchy pop-rock arena track combining influences from U2, Jane’s Addiction and the Killers.
Given the opening track you’d imagine this would be the path the band has chosen to take for the rest of the album, but that’s only half-true.
Already in “My number” for example the band looks back to the math-funk influences of its first release. And in fact the entire record is divided between these two influences, always pleasant and at times something more: like in the emotional “Late night”, the slow “Stetson” or the electric, pulsating and violent “Providence”. Another positive point in favor of the band is the voice of Yannis that matures year after year becoming increasingly self-assured and intriguing.
The band has certainly grown with this release but is far from reaching full maturity: some tracks still feel a little raw. Foals appear almost afraid of becoming the new Killers, with all the pros and cons that come with that.
They set out on this project with clear intentions but appear to have pulled back at the very last second.
TRACKLIST:
“Prelude”
“Inhaler”
“My number”
“Bad habit”
“Everytime”
“Late night”
“Out of the woods”
“Milk & black spiders”
“Providence”
“Stepson”
3.0
