The once-thriving passion for musical riffs and lyrical beauty has been unjustly replaced by glitter and multi-colored hair. This current trend is strangling the passion for musical ingenuity that once flourished.This year could be the exception. Instead of overlooking sensational music relight your musical spirit with “Holy Fire,” the latest album from Foals, set to drop Feb. 11.
Foals — a post-punk band from the UK — combines its members into something divine. Foals brings together ‘80s rock and Afro-funk in the greatest combination since peanut butter joined jelly . The sound of Foals brings together the riotous chants of The Killers with the musical variety of The Black Keys while holding true to the classic rock foundation of The Who. While encompassing the sound of many loved bands, this Oxford band brings originality that will mesmerize the listener. Quirky guitar riffs, horns and curious drum executions bring the word groovy back from the dead and make it relevant. And the lyrics are just as absorbing as their accompaniments.
Building interest with unique sound
The opening track, “Prelude,” is void of decipherable lyrics and creates a foundation of enticing interest. The prelude gives the notion something epic is about to begin. This assumption is then validated as the rest of the album unfolds with songs such as “Number,” containing remarkable sounds and lyrics. This up-tempo ‘80s punk flashback, combined with harmonious vocal loops doesn’t just portray the vast musical talent of Foals. Instead it continues to taunt the listener with an afro-beat that begs to be played over and over again. With lyrics like “You don’t have my number / We don’t need each other now / We don’t need the city / The creed or the culture now,” the most deliberately bitter person can find a trace of relevance as they call to memory the names of lovers lost.
Tracks such as “Late Night” accentuate the enthralling and unique sound of Foals with the use of bells and gongs. Unlike the overdone late night party mix, this late night song is aimed at the thinker, the philosophy major dressed in plaid with a mind that will not rest. This song is majestically melancholy and thought-provoking, “And I know the place another way / But I feel, I feel no shame / Oh now Mama, do you hear my fear? / It's coming after me / Stay with me / Stay with me.” And the song will stay with you, reiterated in your mind, until at last it lulls you to sleep.
A prelude to what the year may hold
One of the last tracks on the album is titled “Milk and Black Spiders.” This track is more than appropriate for its pre-Valentine’s Day release. The heartbreakers and heartbroken will find a connection to lyrics like; “Oh I hope you come with me / All those million miles away, it's here / And I know you still believe / On those million miles away / Cause I've been around two times / And found that you are the only thing I need.”
This collection of sound is the perfect way to begin any year. With the help of bands such as Foals, this generation may have hope. If “Holy Fire” is a taste of what this year has in store, it will be a wonderful year full of instrumental harmonies and deep, eloquent lyrics.
