While I plan to cover all the albums I have anticipated this year so far, I feel it's best to start on a high point with whats easily the best of the bunch. The fifth album by English indie-rockers Foals, first of the two part Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (with part 2 releasing later in 2019), is also in my opinion the best in their discography so far. Foals are a band with some excellent ideas and a knack for writing incredibly catchy indie and dance-rock anthems, however I feel they've only recently started crafting them into albums which match the quality of their best standalone tracks. The buzzing, frenetic math-rock of their debut is highly entertaining for about half the run-time, but as the album progresses, the music starts to become droning and Yannis Philippakis' cryptic lyrics start to blur together. Total Life Forever and Holy fire softened up the sound with more synths and reverb, and Philippakis' lyrics gradually became less bizarre, but both those albums feel like they run too long with a handful of filler tracks in each (well more than a handful in Holy Fire's case). It was only by the time of 2015's What Went Down that the band made an album which was front to back with solid tunes that didn't outstay their welcome. However the album lacked any great progression for the band. It was effectively Holy Fire but with better tracks.
Which brings us to Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, which sees the band exploring old and new sounds and themes. Lead single Exits characterises this well with chunky sounding percussion and piano reminiscent of earlier Foals tracks such as Miami, along with choppy, confused lyrics detailing climate change, extreme weather events and the world being upside-down creating a paranoid and apocalyptic atmosphere. This is only added to by the skittering synths and backing vocals which creep in across its six minute run-time as it slowly builds into a hypnotic groove. Much of the rest of the album follows suit, dealing with the maddening world we currently live in. It discusses Brexit, Trump, the lack of opportunities for younger generations and the general feeling of despair.
The following track, White Onions, shakes things up, having this primal, panicky atmosphere with its repeating drum pattern and synth riff, along with a fuzzy bass and simple, chant-like lyrics. This is followed up by a synth laden dance-rock number, In Degrees. Each track on the album features a unique musical core which differentiates it from the rest, leading to it feeling like the tightest and most concise record that the band has put out, especially with its much shorter run-time than a typical Foals project. Cafe D'Athens repeating percussion loops and wispy vocals evoke The King Of Limbs era Radiohead, and On The Luna is the closest the album gets to a big pop single like My Number. However it is not as straightforward as that comparison suggests. The off kilter synths and dense layers turn it into a captivating earworm. Syrups starts as a very tense, restricted tune with its plodding bass riff, but explodes into a frenetic rage as the tension is released. The last two tracks, Sunday and I'm Done With The World (& It's Done With Me), are perfectly contrasted. Sunday is hopeful and optimistic whereas the closing track leaves the album in a defeated, deflated state. The imagery of autumn leaves burning is intense but also isolating. The only track which I'm not really gelling with is the opener, Moonlight. It just doesn't seem to do much or go anywhere or say anything, it only seems to function as a prelude to Exits.
All in all this album is pretty great, the tracks mesh to form a cohesive statement yet also stand on their own and have their own distinct identities. Despite the obvious commercial reasons for releasing this double album in two parts, I also feel it's the best creative choice, allowing us to fully appreciate its arc. Hopefully Part 2 will be just as refreshing and creative.
Top Tracks: Exits, White Onions, Syrups, On The Luna, Cafe D'Athens, Sunday, I'm Done With The World (& It's Done With Me)
8/10
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