Author : Frankie Baldwin
January is the month for new things; diets, resolutions and, for Foals, new music. On January 9th they released a teaser on Twitter letting us know that new music will be released this year and we know now to expect Everything not Saved Will be Lost Part 1 in March with Part 2 being released in August. Following their debut on Annie Mac’s Radio 1, they released their first single from the album Exits last Monday (21st)– including a funky new music video featuring Game of Thrones Isaac H. Wright.
After a resurgence following their headline performance at Reading and Leeds Festivals in back in 2016, they have moved from the relative peripheral to a more significant presence and back on our radios- and as a result, we have been expecting some new music from them for a while. But how does Exits stack up against their back catalog?
Firstly, the title Exits is pretty courageous in the UK as of late with that word being at the forefront of the mindset of the majority of Brits- and this courage perhaps is reflected in the change in musical direction. While they have always had the ability to produce songs that simultaneously feel like hot, summery road trip epics and yet are the perfect soundtrack for a cold and moody walk home, they have honed in on the former through in Exits. The seemingly upbeat tempo and light, airy tones is at odds with the darker lyrics that have always been a staple for the hits the bands produce. It’s this lightness that makes the song so interesting, and the prospect of upcoming albums so exciting.
The song feels familiar. This could potentially be attributed to lead singer Yannis Philippakis’ distinctive voice stamping the typical Foals sound on the record, however for me its the undeniable 80s atmosphere throughout. This is emphasized by the synthetic use and punchy beat, which gives you a nostalgic feeling throwing you a few decades back- or, for me, back to playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. While the upbeat vibe rings truer to potentially their biggest hit My Number it moves away from their more epic and significant hits such as Mountain At My Gates- a personal favourite of mine. As a result, it does hold the risk of feeling overplayed sooner due to its simplicity.
the main thing it achieves, however, is that it stands up as a very successful forerunner. It excites and whets the appetite and holds itself as the perfect opening for their upcoming albums. It does throw up a few questions about the two albums and the tone that they will be exploring- will the first be an upbeat, ‘dance’y’ record while the second follows up with some of their darker vibes? Either way, I hope they make the most of a double record and shows the world once again the talented, and dare I say it, underrated band that they are.
January is the month for new things; diets, resolutions and, for Foals, new music. On January 9th they released a teaser on Twitter letting us know that new music will be released this year and we know now to expect Everything not Saved Will be Lost Part 1 in March with Part 2 being released in August. Following their debut on Annie Mac’s Radio 1, they released their first single from the album Exits last Monday (21st)– including a funky new music video featuring Game of Thrones Isaac H. Wright.
After a resurgence following their headline performance at Reading and Leeds Festivals in back in 2016, they have moved from the relative peripheral to a more significance presence and back on our radios- and as a result we have been expecting some new music from them for a while. But how does Exits stack up against their back catalogue?
Firstly, the title Exits is pretty courageous in the UK as of late with that word being at the forefront of the mindset of the majority of Brits- and this courage perhaps is reflected in the change in musical direction. While they have always had the ability to produce songs that simultaneously feel like hot, summery road trip epics and yet are the perfect soundtrack for a cold and moody walk home, they have honed in on the former through in Exits. The seemingly upbeat tempo and light, airy tones is at odds with the darker lyrics that have always been a staple for the hits the bands produce. It’s this lightness that makes the song so interesting, and the prospect of upcoming albums so exciting.
The song feels familiar. This could potentially be attributed to lead singer Yannis Philippakis’ distinctive voice stamping the typical Foals sound on the record, however for me its the undeniable 80s atmosphere throughout. This is emphasised by the synthetic use and punchy beat, which gives you a nostalgic feeling throwing you a few decades back- or, for me, back to playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. While the upbeat vibe rings truer to potentially their biggest hit My Number it moves away from their more epic and significant hits such as Mountain At My Gates- a personal favourite of mine. As a result it does hold the risk of feeling overplayed sooner due to its simplicity.
the main thing it achieves however is that it stands up as a very successful forerunner. It excites and whets the appetite and holds itself as the perfect opening for their upcoming albums. It does throw up a few questions about the two albums and the tone that they will be exploring- will the first be an upbeat, ‘dance’y’ record while the second follows up with some of their darker vibes? Either way I hope they make the most of a double record and shows the world once again the talented, and dare i say it, underrated band that they are.