Oxford, England based rock band Foals has seen its fair share of success within the rock genre since their formation in 2005 with then lead singer Andrew Mears. Now along with a new front man, their third studio album, “Holy Fire,” promises to keep that momentum going. But keeping a certain pace means maintaining a plateau in terms of sound.
Comprised of members Yannis Philippakis, Jimmy Smith, Jack Bevan, Walter Gervers and Edwin Congreave, the band has been popular among indie circles both in the UK and here in the United States.
The album begins with “Prelude,” which is a compilation of building and receding sounds coupled with the muffled voice of lead singer Philippakis. While the sound produced is rich, the song still feels like it’s missing some sort of element. Compared to the other tracks on the album, “Prelude” falls short in giving a fair introduction to the sounds of the album’s other songs. Instead, the track sounds similar to a quick jam session or tune-up before a show instead of an organized compilation of music.
Despite the starting track, the album does offer some hidden gems. “Bad Habit” begins with electronica and emotive rock influences similar to the opening of the song “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap. The lead singer’s voice is heightened and more awake. What makes this track so successful is its cleverness. The band places the most pressing lyrics right at the moment of crescendo in the chorus, creating a melodic emotional response, singing, “So I won’t let the flowers grow. Into the deep below/Oh would you forget me now?” Philippakis has an interesting voice. It’s almost soulful, but it dissipates before it reaches too much grit. The track is an easy listen, with whimsical guitar solos almost similar to Coldplay instrumentals.
?”Inhaler” has similar electronica influences and pairs them with echoing voices over quick guitar and drum beats. Despite the good beat, the chemistry doesn’t match when compared to “Bad Habit.” This track displays the band’s more punk influences, which seem to place it in an awkward position with its heavy guitar influences. This track’s funk elements almost give it a certain jam band quality. However, it seems the band has lost their pace. Even Philippakis’ voice is lost in the harder beats, which pulls the listener away from the emotion and depth of the lyrics. The chorus, comprised of the singer attempting to match his screaming of “SPACE” over a rolling electric guitar, seems forced, ultimately leaving the listener in a confused state in the wall of sound.
In “My Number” the band returns to the smooth harmonies and pop-like sounds. This track is less heavy than “Inhaler,” which is a good fallback. The repetitiveness of the song makes for a catchy track. The band seems to be most at home in this area, and the lead singer’s voice couples nicely with the lighter beat.
“Late Night” starts off promising, and the build-up of the beats has the listener hanging on each note, waiting for the big drop off. Unfortunately the climax just doesn’t live up to its expectations. What is offered on this track is a smooth electric guitar solo that is reminiscent of classic jam band quality. It’s a nice pairing to lackluster vocals, but the listener has to wait until the end of the track to get to it. It’s a soulful part of a song that should have reigned throughout the entire track.
“Holy Fire” is a mix of emotive rock with punk and pop influences. The album is ultimately an experiment of a still developing band’s attempt to find its niche in an overly saturated world of bands that play a similar sound. This album isn’t their claim to fame, but enough tweaks and executive decisions of where they stand on sound will make this band rise past the line of another indie rock band to something novel and great.
