Franz Ferdinand meets The Specials. Tight rhythms, metallic guitars and tense vocals. The Foals share an ear for decent grooves with fellow Oxford band Radiohead.
A band with an adventurous taste in rhythms is a rare thing in alternative rock circles these days, it makes ‘Antidotes’ compelling listening. Check the weird skanking rhythm and almost Fela Kuti Afro style guitars and brass on ‘The French Open’. The metallic, purpuseful stride of ‘Heavy Water’ is almost at the opposite end of the spectrum, all angular and European, but no less engaging.
On ‘Balloons’ and ‘Cassius’, the Foals blend the pop sensibilty of Franz Ferdinand with the skanking Ska rhythms of The Specials. The Foals are not attempting a Ska revival, they are not even jumping on the New Wave revival that’s still going on. No, their music is much too 2008 for that. Slightly on the arty side, ‘Antidotes’ is nevertheless punchy and complex but not overcomplicated.
Like Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, the Foals have put out feelers to the Dubstep underground of bass-heavy dance beats. The album track ‘Red Sox Pugie’ has recently been remixed by Dubstep crew Various Production. You can find the remix on Various Production’s new album ‘Versus’.
The Foals are certainly more challenging than most of their contemporaries in the alt rock or indie camps. give ‘Antidotes’ a couple of plays. it’ll grow on you.
Listen Here to ‘Antidotes’ and download the album from iTunes.
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