Not as consistently excellent as their last record Holy
Fire, perhaps, but What Went Down is another super offering from a
band that continues to grow. This is
probably Foals most adventurous album,
and, as a result, not all of it works.
The opening title track is fantastic: building, twisting, and morphing
into a brutal crescendo. So far, so
awesome. But then the second track,
‘Mountain at My Gates’ is a little plodding (like ‘My Number’, but with all the
energy sapped out). Hip shaker ‘Snake
Oil’ beats the best tracks on Zipper Down for swagger (with a chunky
chorus riff for added pow). The mellow
‘Birch Tree’ is another winner, with its off kilter bass line and signature
muted picked guitar (a chorus to sing along to). ‘London Thunder’, though, attempts to be deep
and meaningful but is actually just dull (get out the lighter – or, I guess,
smart phone – and wave it while bored).
Overall, What Went Down is two thirds of a truly excellent album
and a handful of missteps. But it gains
marks for its exploratory nature and the variety on show.
sample track: What Went Down
sample track: What Went Down
