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Rating: The awkward definition of "mature album" seems to actually find its utility in describing the new work by the British band Foals.
The previous "Holy Fire" created two "awkward" precedents for the band led by Yannis Philippakis: their first real radio hit, "My Number," and the exponential growth of popularity that had already been gradually building with two great albums full of good stuff ("Spanish Sahara" leading the way). This new "What Went Down" follows an unusual anticipation for the group's new endeavor, fueled by the eponymous launch single (strangely energetic and aggressive, at least compared to their previous output) and a second extract, "Mountain At My Gates," which instead showcases and polishes the band's more classically pop side.
The ingredients are more or less the usual ones (keyboards, math guitars, and funky rhythms to flavor everything, besides the dream pop and the commercial draw of the best Coldplay in their more accessible episodes), but this time the blend leads to an underlying cohesion absent in the group's previous production. Speaking of the two singles, strategically placed at the top of the tracklist, the menu, as always varied, this time also has a nice thread that leads the album to flow compactly, convincingly, and most importantly, free of fillers. The band fully convinces in more energetic moments such as the synth pop of "Birch Tree" (a sort of sequel to the already mentioned "My Number"), the Zeppelin-like raw charge of "Snake Oil," and in the funky groove of "Night Swimmers" and "Albatross." Nor does it bore when the atmosphere becomes more subtle: the closing "A Knife In The Ocean" is splendid in this regard, and the ballad "Give It All," already presented as a promotional track, is also convincing.
Philippakis's vocal performance is finally confident and never uncertain, as sometimes happened in previous chapters, and the production by James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco is, as often happens with him lately, impeccable.
The leap to the forefront of the British music scene has been made, and maturity for the Foals seems achieved, opening intriguing scenarios for the future. The next studio work has the task of confirming or denying this feeling.
Best Track: A Knife In The Ocean
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By Insect_Reject
What Went Down is an excellent modern rock album, played as it should be and arranged excellently.
From car trips to headphone listening, What Went Down teems with harmonies and substantial guitars, alt-rock aggression, and pop melancholy.
