In some circles, ‘going pop’ is frowned upon. Elitist tendencies dictate that any swing away from the leftfield is to be punished. Most of the time this is complete nonsense, but every once in a while an album comes along that makes a strong case for the anoraks.
Over the past decade, Foals have slowly but surely dismantled their sound, repurposing their chaotic math-rock for the scale of the main stage. This journey continues on Life Is Yours. The group’s seventh studio album sees them further their quest towards the nightclub, one Big Weekend groove at a time.
The trickling, Prince-infused funk of ‘Life Is Yours’ opens things up, making it clear early doors that the new style is here to stay. This is cemented further with ‘Wake Me Up’ and ‘2am’; both are pleasant, inoffensive affairs that leave a distinct whiff of a group travelling down the wrong path.
At times Foals almost break on through to the other side. The surreal sliding guitar towards the back end of ‘Flutter’ harks back to the band’s heavier days, while the Balearic beats of ‘Wild Green’ suggest that, when done right, this whole dance rock thing can be a winner. Unfortunately these moments are few and far between. Before you know it you’re transported back to the dreary old dancefloor, craving the weird old days of yore.
