Foals

Antidotes

Written by: PP on 15/04/2008 16:59:02

UK electro/indie pop outfit Foals exploded onto the scene during the last year from seemingly nowhere. Frontman Yannis stated to this very magazine in a recent interview that he thought the band would just play some house parties for a year and then move on, but when the British music press first starts hyping a band, it quickly snowballs and before they know it, sold out shows at the 5,500 capacity Brixton Academy are a given. Just remember Arctic Monkeys, whose rapid success/decline curve has had many wondering whether Foals can live up to the massive hype spotlight they\'re currently under. If things go anywhere as good on their sophomore album as they do on their debut \"Antidotes\", there\'s little doubt that they can.

Recent years have seen an explosion in electro rhythms in various genres of rock, and indie rock is no exception. Bands like !!! and Klaxons have captured headlines by inserting a small dose of electrifying synth-pop and danceable beats into your usual indie rock. Foals do somewhat th same on \"Antidotes\", except in a much more intelligent level. Every guitar lick is played high above the 12th fret, comprising of intricate, choppy playing throughout the album. You\'ll be hard pressed to find a single riff or chord on the record, as the songs rely more on playful guitar picking and witty, quirky passages that take direct influence from math rock.

Vocalist Yannis\' high voice often goes in repeat mode during lyrical passages that drip of intriguing symbolism, making their songs difficult to interpret. The best song on the record, \"Cassius\", for instance, showcases this vivacious vocal approach with plenty of sudden line and/or word repetitions rippling all over the song. Album opener \"The French Open\" relies on the same method, and together with a song like \"Electric Bloom\" all have you dancing to their funky tunes in no time.

Almost every song on the record is single-material as well: \"Red Socks Pugie\", \"Balloons\", \"Two Steps Twice\" are all easily radio-insertable, despite their quirkiness and strange soundscapes. That\'s simultaneously the biggest strength of \"Antidotes\" - no song sounds the same. Although Yannis & co utilize the same basic techniques - vocal repetition, dance drum beat meets synth pop style, and intricate guitar lines - each song sounds undeniably different, but yet the Foals signature sound is omnipresent throughout the album.

While danceable electro rock isn\'t usually thoroughly covered in our magazine, Foals deserves a chance. For anyone who has found himself enjoying the accessibility of Arctic Monkeys, the fun electro pop of Klaxons, or the experimentalist indie rock of Portugal. The Man will be dancing after \"Antidotes\". Go see them at Roskilde Festival this year.

8

Download: Cassius, Electric Bloom, Two Steps Twice
For the fans of: Klaxons, !!!, Portugal. The Man
Listen: Myspace
Buy: iTunes

Release date 28.03.2008
Transgressive Records/Warner Bros

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