iiiBritish quintet Foals' Total Life Forever signals a coming of age. Two years since their surprise debut Antidotes, their sound has evolved into a more refined chaos that listeners will find soothing.
According to frontman Yannis Philippakis, the second album is more honest because it regresses into a more naive state.
In the months leading up to this album launch, Foals dropped free online content for fans to sample. It was part of their marketing strategy to give fans an entire multimedia experience that transcends music alone.
On their triumphant return album, the song This Orient has echoey vocals and ambiguous lyrics that give an edgy, contemporary feel. Fugue provides a brief interlude of grimy beats, for a nice downtime.
After their first album debuted at No 3 on British charts, hype and expectations were high for their next release. Foals boldly took a new direction in Total Life Forever and should be commended for that in itself. But in so doing, they created a highly polished sound that will cement their status as a leader in lacing indie rock with alternative beats.
Foals' sophomore album comes through with a tour de force that will leave you humming their mesmerising melodies long after you're done listening.