7/10 horse-power
With the departure of long-term bassist Walter Gervers late last year, front man Yannis Phillippakis stating on Twitter that this album would be something ‘entirely different’, and a title that sounds more like advice from the I.T. dept, Foals’ fifth studio album it sounded like things had really gone off the rails for the Oxford ‘it’ group.
In the lead up to part one of this double release (the second is out in September), concerns had been swirling that Foals may have lost their creative edge – opting instead for a carpet bombing of new tracks in need of a good editor to sift out the belters.
Happily, lead single “Exits” immediately dispels any fears with its super catchy riff, clap along beats and driving bass line. The warp-speed drumming and angular synths of “White Onions” hark back to the hallowed math-rock of debut album “Antidotes”, while “On The Luna” and “In Degrees” are both master classes in spiky indie-pop – all warped keyboards and funky disco chords.
So far, so on brand, but the oddities of “Syrups” and “Café D’Athens” do take a big step out of the their comfort zone (the jury’s still out tbh). However, penultimate anthem “Sundays” pulls everything back together just in time for the finale. It seems Foals really can’t put a foot wrong right now.
Dan Ashcroft
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Indie pop interspersed with flashes of pandemonium. Like setting off a cluster bomb at a disco.
