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Foals returned to the studio to release their follow up to 2008’s Antidotes with Total Life Foreverearlier this year. The pressure and hype stemming from their large fan-base built up gradually to the release date, and so when in July the album was nominated for the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize, it seemed that such high levels of anticipation for this album had been justified.

   From the first track, ‘Blue Blood’, the sound of Total Life Forever opens with challenging vocal melodies from lead singer Yannis Philippakis, upon minimalistic backing from the guitars. Catchy rhythms from the drums and bass guitars seep into this long opener allowing for the sound to grow. This album’s new direction has developed from the frantic antics and high-tempo of previous singles, such as ‘Cassius’.

‘Miami’ seems a track destined for popularity among fans despite not registering anywhere near the Top 40 in its May release. Jack Bevan’s drumming attracts foot-tapping interest from first hearing. Its chorus is interesting, due to the three-way unison of vocals, with the title ‘Miami’ echoed from the backing vocalists over grand synthesised soundscapes.

   The next highlight is most definitely a departure from previous experiences of Foals. ‘Spanish Sahara’ calls upon delicate listening to high-pitched lead vocals as a slow-paced beat keeps the loose structure. However, the familiar upbeat order of Antidotes is restored with ‘This Orient’ which again makes use of a non-linear structure, an aspect shared by ‘Balloons’.  The few seconds of machine-gun fashion drumming catches the listener’s attention before the chorus kicks in, constituting of mellow and progressive echoes of Sigur Rós and delay-pedal effects from the guitars and synthesiser.

   Rounding off the album, the last four tracks steer the sound into atmospheres of excitement: After the heavier rock of ‘After Glow’, ‘Alabaster’ transfers into new realms yet again with an ambient introduction. Soon after this, professional production and mixing exhibits echoes in the vocals and industrial-sounding percussion; which actually work seamlessly before returning to the minimal fashions of ‘Blue Blood’. These contrasts continue until ‘What Remains’ closes the album with an arguably Kraftwerk attempt over tonally deep drum hits, fuzzy bass, synthesiser and sliding guitars. Through all this, the band does not forget their signature high-transpositions of guitar chords and obvious places for sing-along hooks.

   Total Life Forever navigates its way past the raw ‘math-rock’ memories of Antidotes to a mature combination of the mellow, progressive and rhythmic elements. In addition, the lengthy tracks demonstrate this band’s ability to write captivating, catchy and sustained pieces which is an admired skill. When the ambition and variation this album achieves are this good, it seems only appropriate to label is as possibly one of the best British albums of 2010.

Tom Blacker

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