Now having released their fourth album, Foals’ ability to stay afloat these past seven years is quite remarkable. The British rock scene has seen better days, but somehow this group out of Oxford has made a slow climb into the limelight, where they intend to stay. Does What Went Down give Foals the chutzpah they need to keep their heads above water? Maybe. If anything, it’s another fine-tuned entry, one that packs a punch when it needs to, and showcases that music is second nature to them.
Stylistically, Foals has been a bit of a transformative project, their debut Antidotes was a jumpy math rock barrage; the band’s energetic emergence gave fans a healthy dosage of head bobbing fun. From there, it has been a journey of tweaking elements and testing new directions, which have paid off so far. The band’s sophomore album, Total Life Forever, added a little more atmosphere, slightly slowing the tempo, but never forfeiting their forte in catchy rhythm creation. Holy Fire saw a great leap in popularity for the group. Converting catchy rhythm into groovy jams, with highlights “Inhaler” and “My Number” landing themselves consistent radio spots, Foals quickly became an act worthy of festival performances. What came after Holy Fire could be very divisive for a group that’s gained this much steam, and with that we have the newly released What Went Down.
The album’s self-titled opener shows a lot of promise. This time around, the air is filtered with frustration, syphoned through singer Yannis Philippakis’ raspy howls and a heavy lead riff. The opener channels its energy through aggravation, a new approach for Foals, but one hell of a start to the album. “Snake Oil” is another heavy hitter, relying on the band’s newly acquired hard rock palate, Philippakis belts out lines with ferocity. “Mountain at My Gates,” “Albatross” and “Night Swimmers” sink back into the funky pop beats that defined previous Foals records, as if to say their sound is evolving rather than changing. At this point, Foals has a knack for the upbeat, and their bubbly tunes are as swiftly crafted as they are enjoyed by listeners. But their capacity to excel in the art of happy sing-alongs leaves a lot of room for improvement. Specifically, some of the more experimental songs on What Went Down feel like a heavy-handed attempt at something new.
“Give It All” is a slow burner to say the least, gradually building to symphonic climax a la explosions-in-the-sky style. The payoff, unfortunately, doesn’t make up for the staggering crawl it takes to get there, briefly escalating, before simmering out in a flash. The latter half of the album suffers from a lack of enthusiasm, but the final track “A Knife In The Ocean” feels like a proper ending. While Philippakis seems to be treading through insecurity and regret, he doesn’t wallow in the same gloomy sounds of “Give It All” or “London Thunder,” but goes out in a grandiose eruption, drowning in sonic disarray as What Went Down comes to a close.
Foals have become the staple example of exponential growth, with each release garnishing more popularity as they continue to develop. Adjustments here and there have guided them to a sound of their own, but describing their “sound” is a bit more challenging. What Went Down brings the most obscure modifications, but perhaps it’s a natural progression. The need to stay fresh can be overbearing for a lot of groups, and in this case, What Went Down is hot at times and cold at others. The emphasis on more rock, less pop is a welcomed change in a time where conforming to pop elements has been the safe route for many bands as of late, but Foals definitely has some kinks to work out to keep their newly revised sound as charming as the rest of their music.
