I’m kind of alone in the corner here, but the second album from Foals Total Life Forever succumbed very heavily to second album syndrome. It doesn’t have much of what the fans loved about Antidotes in it, it’s wafty and dreamy and aimless, which isn’t a great thing from a band who do their best when punching out angular math-pop. And these guys put together a very similar album concept only a year previously, and were a bit more successful.
Understandably, despite their success, the fact that Antidotes never did very well with reviewers outside of Britain was a bit of a problem for someone, so an album was punched out, one that this time everyone can like. If fucking Pitchfork is happy, then we’re all fucking happy.
I’m not happy though. I want to jump on the bed and accidentally sing along on the train in the morning with my headphones turned up too loud and have a record to play to my friends when we’re feeling noisy. None of that in Total Life Forever, its just a meandering stoner pop record. A good one, but not something that’s an everyday listen.
That being said, Foals are an amazing live band and with the material from the two albums combined into one show you can bet on a gig with every bit as much pop sophistication as you can imagine. While I wouldn’t tell you to run out and buy the second album like I would the first, and recognising that I’m still looking forward to hearing the upcoming third, I do think you should grab some tickets to their show at the Kesselhaus, it will be a terrific gig, one where I’m hoping you’ll find yourself accidentally singing along.
Here’s a clip, Foals – Red Sox Pugie (Live at Glastonbury) :
