Holy Fire

**At first glance, _Holy Fire_ seems to be the perfect union of Foals’ first two brilliant and genre-defying albums. The angular, needling guitars and syncopated rhythms of _Antidotes_ are combined with the atmospheric ambience of _Total Life Forever_ to create a varied, accessible selection of songs that initially appear appealing. However, after digging beneath the surface, it becomes apparent that the majority of the album is not really all that progressive, exciting, or (worst of all) interesting.**

Songs like ‘Providence’ and first single ‘Inhaler’ attempt to sound offbeat and unexpected, featuring rhythmic turbulence, some gutsy and strained vocals from Yannis Philippakis, and aggressive, animalistic riffage. However, both songs fail to show any of the innovation and imagination that made previous **Foals** efforts so exciting and original. Others, such as ‘Milk And Black Spiders’ and ‘Late Night’ feel like out-takes and reworks of tracks from the _Total Life Forever_ sessions that were omitted for a reason. Whilst these are not necessarily unpleasant, they don’t feel like the work of a band that has refused to stand still at all in its seven-year history. Tracks of this sort dominate the middle of the album, slowing the experience and reducing any pleasure to a minimum.

Philippakis has subtly altered his lyrical content from the vague, unexplained imagery of the past to a more direct, personal style here. In some places this may seem clunky and unsophisticated, but at times it turns out to be an effective tool and adds a previously unheard intimacy and power to some of the album’s highlights. ‘My Number’, the funky second single, and ‘Bad Habit’ – the poppiest thing the band have yet created – both benefit from this treatment, which perfectly complements their catchy melodies and clean production to provide the first moment when one truly begins to enjoy the record.

It is no coincidence that at this point we first hear Philippakis baring his soul, expressing pleasure at having disposed of an old flame, and subsequently, pain at hurting another. At the tail-end of the album, the ethereal, poignant ‘Stepson’ and the haunting ‘Moon’ provide fitting closure, showing that the band can still create startling music and break the moulds they themselves have created. The disappointment lies in the fact they couldn’t produce such sounds more often across _Holy Fire_.

Whilst this may be a solid selection of songs that many will find enjoyable, some fans will be left unsatisfied that **Foals** have fallen short of the high standard they have set over their previous albums; a standard which many felt they could – and should – have scaled again.

**Similar To:** The Maccabees, Bombay Bicycle Club

**MP3:** ‘Stepson’, ‘Moon’