I've raved on about Foals' second album for months now, and it placed #1 in my top albums of 2010 so I'm sure you're getting bored of hearing about it, but it's just so damn good. Total Life Forever is a raucous romp of a record, filled with all of Foals' heart and soul.
Alabaster is relatively unknown when it comes to songs from Total Life. It wasn't released as a single and it's not an album track that has caught on particularly among fans but I think it's one of the best songs on the album. It's lead for most of the 4 minutes by a drum beat that grows mighty, yet starts quietly and mystically - Foals have become expert at changing tempo and sound. The song is wonderfully ambient and it is populated by simple, high-pitched guitar lines and rhythmic chanting that create an off-beat effect. It's so effective because it's unusual - the song seems to rise and rise, building atmosphere and tension, but never hits true climax. The chorus, although climactic, never reaches unleashed volume, yet Yannis' singing is heartfelt - Foals have managed to mix their original intellectual math-rock style with raw emotional energy and it has worked magnificently.
Total Life Forever was the best album released in 2010, and Alabaster was one of the best songs to grace my headphones.
No comments:
Post a Comment