Today’s Therapy: Foals‘ Holy Fire

I’ll be changing up what I write about as was suggested by a buddy. More information about the band and less descriptions of how the music/songs progress. There’s only so many times I can say how the awesome double-time high-hat builds into a thumpin’ bass line without sounding like a broken record here.

Onwards to today’s album of choice, Holy Fire by Foals! The lead singer Andrew Mears was originally from a progressive rock band known as Youthmovies (Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies, check it out!), while the rest of the band was from a math-rock band known as The Edmund Fitzgerald (a bit too heavy   sounding for me). Well this certainly describes the band’s sound accurately. The heavy drum and synthesizer forming the backtrack of the music, while the guitar uses the scratching technique with a more complex rhythm overtop. I particularly enjoy how energetic the music is, making it more fun to blast through headphones while running around town. Get that heart going.

Foals were formed back in 2005 in Oxford, England and have published three albums under the UK label Transgressive Records. Holy Fire made its way to the top of the Australian music boards as well as placing at spot 2 in the UK. Across the Atlantic ocean, here in Canada/US, they only barely reached the top 100 album list, so I figured I would spread the music around. I’ve always thought that the best music comes from the British, they just seem to know exactly what I want to hear. And if you disagree, then send me some music suggestions and prove me wrong!

My favourite song off the album at the moment is “Late Night”, which solidified its position during the last couple minutes of the song when (the) Foals go off on a sweet guitar solo with a cool scratchy sound to lead into a nice melodic guitar line to allow the bass to shine through. Don’t get me wrong, the whole song was always bumping along with a nice solo guitar having fun going on tangents, but the ending really made me come back for another listen.

The guitar style and the rhythm section can always put you into a easy-flowing state of mind, and I equate a bit of that to Holy Fire sounding similar to electronic bands albums. Not the overall sound, but the disco-y (no sustained notes) guitar with a similar bass that electronic bands like to write and the on the beat drum line. This is only really true for the first half of the album, as the second half is less upbeat, more spacey (“Stepson” and “Moon”).

Anyways, hope you liked the slight changes on this post, here’s another song off the album to listen to before you head out!

– Karly D