REVIEW: Total Life Forever By Foals

(Transgressive/Warner)

4 ½ out of 5

It was a simple enough move for Foals to branch away from just being alternative dance (nee discopunk), as they were tagged/derided upon the release of Antidotes. Critics have thrown the word ‘ambitious’ around a fair amount since the release of ‘Spanish Shara’, a near antithesis to most of the singles off Foals’ debut album. This is an educated bunch of musicians though; frontman Yannis Phillipakis is clearly aware of how fickle trends in music can be. Though there are some remnants of their previous sound, what's breathtaking about Total Life Forever is just how far reaching the band have or are about to become. While still nourished with grooves for people to acquaint with, it’s the cryptic lyrics and dark soundscapes that become the album's prevailing feature; ‘2 Trees’ and ‘After Glow’ are chilling in their execution, while ‘Alabaster’ stands out with abrasive tones and abhorrent disdain towards whomever they wish to target. ‘Black Gold’ is in some respects atypically ticking the boxes for alt-radio airplay, but is done with such providence it's not only forgivable, but perhaps gives hope that more of this might be shared on the airwaves.

This review plus loads more in the August/September 2010 issue of Rip It Up Magazine. Review by Benjii Jackson