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| image: foals.co.uk |
Foals. A band I have had a pretty unnerving obsession with since my pre-teenage years. From the math-rock pandemonium of 'Antidotes,' made to be played to a bunch of wired, barely legals shuffling at an Oxford house party, to the matured, momentous and slightly vulnerable instrumentals of 'Total Life Forever' which seemed to completely contradict its predecessor. Then came 'Holy Fire' which saw the Oxford quintet put their O.C.D to rest, ditching the clinical, over-analysed instrumentals and elaborate metaphorical lyrics- resulting in possibly their most credible pursuit to date. Now, headlining festivals and the Royal Albert Hall, it is clear that Yannis & Co. have successfully nestled their way into the hearts of the people, but there is one Foals endeavour in particular that I feel is astonishingly overlooked...
In the run up to their highly anticipated third album, Foals recorded a CCTV video series of themselves performing six album tracks and later released a limited number of these in vinyl format as part of Record Store Day last year. The outcome is nothing short of outstanding. From the minimal, sparse guitars of 'Milk & Black Spiders' to the uplifting tenor of Bad Habit' with it's incredible lyrics of self-loathing- each and every track beholds a certain air of preciousness and delicacy that wasn't necessarily encapsulated on the finished LP. 'Bluebird' a track that (oddly) doesn't make an appearance on 'Holy Fire' itself, sounds exquisite on this rarity, with a stunning introductory guitar line and enchanting sparse chords that oscillate beautifully throughout the entire track.
I am aware that this isn't an 'album' as such, but it's all I've been listening to lately after rediscovering it on one of my procrastination sprees. If you haven't already done so, get listening to the whole series of tracks and prepare to be dazzled by a blur of haunting instrumentals and Yannis's dreamy vocals
Watch the 'Milk & Black Spiders' CCTV session below.
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