It’s fair to say that each Foals album has had a huge impact on UK music. Although the last record was received by mixed reviews, What Went Down guarantees a more supporting response and a title of being their best release yet.
Showing a wider influence of grunge, ambient noise, funk and possibly every genre that you could think of, this is a collection of songs that sound like Foals have finally found themselves. Whilst they have anthems galore in their back catalogue, What Went Down sounds wholesome and complete. This, for the first time, reveals the Oxfordshire five-piece for what they really are: A band with close attention to the finer details of their music, resulting in a huge sound in the final product.
Bouncing from the rage of lead single ‘What Went Down’ to the almost reminiscent vibes of ‘London Thunder’, the record portrays a more healthy side to the band and their process of production. Naturally beautiful, utterly stunning. Yannis’ voice learns to glide with the chords, and the subtle build ups colliding together compliment the vocals of a natural lyricist. What’s important about this is that it doesn’t sound forced. Commenting that they believe ‘Give It All’ is their best song to date, the energy behind it feels real.
The sense that something special is happening is hard to ignore, it’s present throughout the whole record and remains a prominent afterthought. What takes place in each listen is a lesson of understanding and attention. Though the album is slower than previous releases, it makes up for it with anthem after anthem, showcasing a strong moment that lasts for the whole thing. The results show that this is about to change Foals forever.
What Went Down is out now via Warner Music UK Ltd.
Connor Willis
@connorpwillis
Connor Willis
Latest posts by Connor Willis (see all)
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- ALBUM: Foals ‘What Went Down’ - August 30, 2015
