Foals – Holy Fire

Foals have released their much anticipated third studio album, Holy Fire. The band have been remarkably successful in a short space of time, with the acclaim of their debut, Antidotes, which peaked at number three in the UK pop charts, and their sophomore record, Total Life Forever, which climbed to number eight.

Holy Fire’s agenda appears to be to pull down the barriers of pretension by producing a record you wouldn’t associate with the quartet on first hearing. For instance, the lead single, Inhaler, embodies the hard edge of a Deftones track; Yannis Philippakis’ yelp and the instrumentation seems steeped in an ode to alternative metal bands from America.

The second single, My Number, has all the 80s pop credentials of a Duran Duran track, mixed with a touch of Klaxon vocal harmonising. If Foals mean to achieve commercial success, they will be enabled by songs like this – already being synched on TV and playing on shop floors nationwide. The fourth track, Bad Habit, sounds like a song by Temper Trap with its uplifting stadium vibe, whilst Out of the Woods has a touch of Fleetwood Mac’s funk about it.

As the album unravels, Foals begin to reveal their typical approach, without losing their newfound appreciation of pop sensibilities. Milk and Black Spiders and Providence are examples of how the band have tweaked their original style to appear more inclusive. Late Night is this record’s Spanish Sahara, with its controlled build and euphoric release.  

Holy Fire isn’t particularly thought-provoking or genre-defining but it is instantly accessible and captures Foals at their most expansive. Philippakis isn’t really a singer and yet his voice works well for this band. The drumming ability of Jack Bevan has always been a highlight and he excels here, seamlessly in tandem with bassist Walter Gervers. Jimmy Smith (guitar) and Edwin Congreave (keyboard) complete the line-up and contribute accordingly. Overall, Holy Fire is filled with festival-induced bangers and may be the band’s best album to date, due to its open honesty and diversity.

Verdict: ••••

Samuel Mensah

Holy Fire was released on 11^th February 2013. For further information about Foals and future events visit here.

Watch the video for My Number here:

Foals – My Number from Us on Vimeo.