They threw me a party, there was no one around
I find Foals an incredibly frustrating band. Since their formation in 2005 they’ve released some of the most ambitious-yet-catchy indie tracks to have come out of the UK. Songs like Red Sock Pugie, Spanish Sahara, Inhaler, My Number and What Went Down are all definitive proof that Yannis Philippakis has a knack for writing an angst ridden anthems and lavish ballads. However, as each album cycle passes I can’t escape the idea that even after ten years Foals are settling for less and less. On What Went Down – an album whose title track that brims with aggressive momentum and clarity of thought that shakes the listener to their core – there’s just too much that sounds comfortable, easy and like Yannis and Co. are no longer pushing themselves. For a band whose albums have always been an uneven mix of great and average tracks, a sustained tilt towards the latter does not bode well.