_____Before we start, I want to make it perfectly clear that I despise Yannis Philippakikikippikiss with a white-hot passion. Everything about the guy just drives me up the wall. Everything, that is, except his music. As much as it pains me to say, I sort of love Foals. Their debut album, Antidotes, and I hit it off so well, that I decided to download the entirety of their backlog of pre-album singles and B-sides, something I’ve only done with a handful of bands on my iPod.
___But I’ve always craved more. Whatever about human nature and always wanting more than you, this was an extra special case, as even with all the sneaky singles and bashful B-sides, I still only had one hour of Foals material. I had more of The Blackout on my iPod. So, as you can see, this second album was desperately needed. Total Life Forever has arrived though, and my thirst for their unique Oxford-fag sound has been quenched. After almost two years of waiting for some new material, Spanish Sahara’s premiere on Radio One late last February was like music to my ears.
___The song is quite different to what we heard on their debut album, a bit less finicky, a bit more caressing. In contrast to Antidotes’ angular precision, Spanish Sahara demonstrated that the band has slowed down with this album. As if they’ve moved on from a sick concoction of Ritalin and Speed, and are now experimenting with only the finest Lebanese Hashish. Having rudely grabbed attention with an in-your-face debut, they haven’t needed to force the sound on this album, they’ve just let it happen. The question is how good is this Lebanese shit…
_____On first listen, I was a tad sceptical. Then I listened to it a second time, and a third, and a seventeenth, and I couldn’t figure out why I was so sceptical, because it’s fantastic. I’m still not sure why I didn’t take to Total Life Forever the first time around, the only explanation I can think of is that I accidentally listened to Fionn Regan’s disappointing follow-up to a thoroughly superb debut again, and got the two mixed up. But regardless, what’s important is that Foals’ second album is something to get excited about.
___I mentioned above how their sound had certainly progressed with Total Life Forever; as well as Spanish Sahara, a bouncy title track and the smooth 2 Trees would have stuck out like a sore thumb on Antidotes, yet they fit in beautifully here. Even alongside some classic-Foals sounding tracks, the chirpy Blue Blood and recent smashing single This Orient being perfect examples, they fit like a glove.
___I prefer Total Life Forever to its predecessor. I’m not completely sure why, I just think there’s just a more complete sounding to this record. However, there’s also this to consider, I imagine this might have had a pretty substantial part to play.
_____I still hate Yannis though, despite his second successful LP, so I’m obviously going to enjoy pointing out flaws in this particular album. Firstly, Fugue, what on earth were you thinking? Forty-eight seconds I could have spent in an infinite number of alternative ways, each and every one of them infinitely more meaningful. I’m not all that sold on Black Gold and After Glow, either, but the former is slowly growing on me, and the latter is followed by Alabaster, so that sorts that problem.
___My biggest problem with this album, however, isn’t to do with its flaws as such, but its strengths, the problem being they’re just not strong enough. I really like all the songs named above, but going to their gig on the 14th, Miami is the only one off this album that features in my five top songs I’m praying they’ll play. Record-closer What Remains is brilliant, but it’s just not quite up there with Cassius, Astronauts and All, etc for me. And that’s the case for a lot of the songs on the album.
_____Overall it’s a better listen than Antidotes, but I find myself thinking that some of the songs, while truly fantastic, are oh so almost something even greater. Haven’t the slightest as to what it is they’re lacking, but maybe an attitude check and a clearing of his anal passage for their singer might be a start.
B1
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