Album #23 : Foals - Holy Fire

Foals

Holy Fire (2013)

The phrase 'moody indie rockers' is probably one of the most commonly used phrases in the music critic's playbook, along with 'this album is taking them mainstream' and 'here's another banal piece of shit album from Nickelback'. There's a reason for that; most indie rockers are moody bastards. I think that's what makes them so good - have you ever seen a happy indie rocker whose output is consistently outstanding?

Well, moody indie rockers Foals made a big splash last year with their third album, Holy Fire. If chart success is your thing, it made number 2 in the UK charts and number 1 in Australia. Evidently, Foals are a big deal in Australia (well, big enough to top an album chart anyway). Being somewhat familiar with Foals' earlier (moody) work, I was excited to see whether Holy Fire maintained their commitment to emotionally draining bordering on the 'post-rock' sound extravaganzas.

What I discovered was neither here nor there.

The Album

On Holy Fire, Foals have continued to build those sonic landscapes with keyboards and what can only be described as aimless guitar noodling. Reverb-laden echoey vocals abound on the album, which I suppose is a good thing, as vocalist Yannis Philippakis is serviceable, but no better. While his ability to emphasise the morose and melancholy suits many songs, it also, perhaps, holds some back from achieving greater heights. A pleasant inclusion to many tracks is a marimba, which adds an extra texture to the sound and, in a couple of songs, really stands out.

There are a few moments on Holy Fire that do grab you and convince you of the band's power to make different shades of indie rock sound exciting, vibrant and powerful. Inhaler is a very catchy dance-rock song that chooses a simpler sound in the verses (one that is very reminiscent of 80s Genesis) and a grander sound in the choruses. The marimba/keyboard melody line is the song's shining hook. My Number is more dance-rock but very different in style and feel to Inhaler; it owes more to disco and Bloc Party with its rapid-fire rhythm guitar work. Opening track Prelude is also worth a listen. Basically an instrumental (it does contain lyrics, but they're mostly unintelligible), it introduces the band's preference for layers of guitar to create the music, with one such layer being the recurring motif that the song is built around. 

Two other tracks that aren't necessarily powerful moments, but interesting in terms of their structure and composition are Providence and Late Night. The former is made to sound much more complex than it is by virtue of its 7/8 time signature, and the dexterous and skillful work of drummer Jack Bevan. Unfortunately the tediously repetitive lyrics detract from what is otherwise a good song. The latter features a string section (while strings are on other songs, they are at their most important here) and a prominent bass line, dark in tone, that give the song a very sombre feel. It starts strong, features a more withdrawn midsection, before gently building back up to conclude the track.

Elsewhere though, it's fairly standard indie-rock with emotional lyrics and vocals, staccato guitar noodling and keyboards to provide more meat to the sound. It is, as I noted in my listening notes for the song Moon, 'nice, but bland'. At times I got the feeling that, on Holy Fire, Foals are simply doing what others have already done, except they're not really improving on or changing what others have done in any real way. 

The Verdict

Holy Fire is one big ball of meh. As I have written about a couple of other albums though, it's not particularly bad music. However, for music that has been designed to be emotionally charged, there are too many moments where I simply felt nothing at all....and that's the album's biggest failing.

There's enough in the album to keep you interested but it's probably not one you're gonna rush to tell your mates about, nor is it an album you're likely to want to spin again and again and again.

My rating: ***

Standout Tracks

Inhaler

Prelude

My Number

Tomorrow's album? Australian ska that was big for about five minutes (provided I can get the album, otherwise....it'll be something else.)