It’s hard to believe Foals are only just releasing their third album. The Oxford-based five-piece have been an omnipresent force within alternative rock and pop music since the release of debut album Antidotes back in 2008, as their disjointed, weighty funk sound stands out as unique among the saturated indie music scene. Five years on, and this sound has progressed into something apparently worthy of a show at the Royal Albert Hall, which the band will play on the 28th March this year.
Among all of this praise and rising fame, Holy Fire certainly delivers the raw energy and musical intricacy Foals’ fans crave. The third track on the album, ‘My Number’, brings the first moments of brilliance, as its brawny, ball-breaking funk fights its way through the track, dropping the chorus at just the right moments.
With the high quality the band set with their initial releases of ‘My Number’ and ‘Inhaler’, a song in line with the ubiquitous Foals sound, there are a few gems hiding within the record. ‘Moon’ is a beautiful track, consisting of tentative guitar and piano playing. Yannis’s typically raw and brazen voice is laid bare at the beginning and progressively drowned out by dreamy, ambient sounds. In this way, the tracklisting for the album has been perfectly considered: this is the perfect ending to an album with fast, fighting funk, atmospheric melancholia and a typically distinct Foals sound.
It is difficult to find fault with this record. There are, naturally, songs which will be subject to the ‘skip’ button. ‘Providence’ perhaps lacks depth, Yannis’s proclamations of “I’m an animal, just like you” are somewhat grating. However, this song could conceivably become a live favourite, its upbeat qualities and vigour particularly apt for the stage. Overall, this band deserves all the praise they have received during the build up to this release. They have proved their musical dexterity, and know just how to weave in the right amount of melancholia and beauty into their songs.