Holy Fire

As an ardent fan of the indie artists that have been coming out of Oxford, England since the late 80's/early 90's and into the present (from stalwarts like Ride, Talulah Gosh, Swervedriver, Dustball and Radiohead to current gems like Spring Offensive, Wild Swim and Rhosyn), I had read plenty about Foals before I actually took a listen to their first two albums. Antidotes (their debut) was up first - after playing it through, it became clear to me, straight away, why they were already considered to be legends in the making within Oxford. Their knack for infectious/spastic guitar riffs, bombastic melodies and frenetically charming drum sections more then made them an instant favourite with my ear drums. Then came Total Life Forever, a comparatively dialed down yet funky and soulful follow up (Spanish Sahara is worth the price admission all by itself) that more than lived up to the hype it produced following its release.It was back in autumn of this year that I downloaded Holy Fire, as by then, I had a become a HUGE Foals fan. Upon first listen, I couldn't decide what to make of it. The general sound of this offering was quite unlike the first two (as seems to be a natural transition for any artist that wants to remain fresh and innovative) and it took a bit to for HF to really sink into my musical subconscious. It was around the 5th time I listened to it all the way through, that I began to realize how brilliant this album is. It's rare when you can go through a record, track by track, and you discover that it's seamless in terms of its quality. Standout tracks for me include Bad Habit, Out of the Woods, Providence and Stepson. With Holy Fire, Yannis Phillipakis and Co have not only raised the bar for any budding math/disco rock outfits waiting in the wings, they've provided further evidence that the UK is miles ahead of the US when it comes to music that's actually worth buying.

I am fascinated with the music of the mult-talented Foals; every number is noteworthy on this CD.

Having only had this album for a few days, I can only give my initial reaction at this point. My first thoughts are that the album starts very strong...Inhaler, My Number (and my fave track) Bad Habit are great songs. They continue on from the sound Foals laid out on their last album, TLF. These first tracks are memorable, well crafted, and contain the same ingredients that made their best work so awesome in the past. This said...at least so far...the rest of the album kind've blends all together for me. Even after 5 or 6 listens, I can't really recall very much from the second half of the album. Don't get me wrong...i pretty much like everything I have heard, it just seems to go a bit bland or samey at points. Perhaps the reason why is that many of the later tracks seem to have a bit more of a conventional feel to them. In addition, the lyrics are a bit on the obvious side. For example, here is the chorus to Every time: With every time I see you I want to sail awayWith every time I see you I want to sail awayThe lights won't bridge the gap through their holidayWith every time I see you I want to sail away, just sail awaySo...to recap...first three tracks are great....starts the album out in a very strong fashion. But...as it progresses, so far anyway, it loses my interest a bit. Overall, half great/half OK...what do I Score this?

This is a great album. If you like alternative rock, give this a try. If you're on the fence, at least listen to it on YouTube; then, buy the album because you realize it's great.

There are three really strong songs here: Inhaler, Late Night, and Providence. The opening Prelude works as exactly that, building up to Inhaler. Moon is good but melancholy -- you might or might not want to program it last depending on your mood.The rest is pretty pop, innocuous at best, and annoying at worst. My Number is the worst -- truly cringeworthy.Foals would get it together with a darker, edgier album the next time around. Check out  What Went Down (2015)  (see my review) for their best album!

foals, no band out there quite like them. i haven't even received my cd yet, (it was shipped today on schedule) but i wanted to write a review. all three of foals' albums are great in their own unique way. from what i've heard so far from HOLY FIRE, i'd have to say it's an instant hit in my, and i'm sure a lot of other foals' fan's books. MY NUMBER is the first track i fell for. as i compose this, i'm listening to the closing track titled MOON. brilliant. enchanting. this song makes me sit back and stare into space, and know. i can say that this cd will not depart from my car's cd player for at least two weeks. another gem for the soundtrack to my life. stoked....

Picked this up after the concert back in April. I had seen them before several years back at the Treasure Island Fest, and enjoyed them, but not enough to spring for the CD. However, that show was fantastic, and this CD is amazing. I've easily listened to it more than anything else in my collection in the past 4 months, and it has been in constant rotation. Really wonderful.

I listened to this album before I bought it, had good expectations based on their previous albums, but it blew me away. I bought it because this is exactly the kind of hard work and talent you have to support. It's soothing and powerful, creating a wave-like motion of feelings and sounds that leave you feeling energized yet peaceful by the end. It has definitely become one of my favorite albums.

Been a fan of Foals since their "Hummer" ep and the wacky video which went with it. This album has some brilliant sounds that would let you know Foals are behind it, even if you didn't have Yannis' voice as a cue. Whilst everyone will likely know it for 'Inhaler' (brilliant) it goes from a more pent up energy to a more emotional place with the likes of 'late night'.Main thing is that even though you can clearly hear the signature tastes of the band in this album, they have decided to continue with their sound and find new ways to deliver it and I love it for that. If you're into the Foals and like having a physical version, then grab a copy. Unsure? Give them a listen on any of the streaming services. I hope you end up liking them as much as I do!

Only my second Foals album. I bought it as it was on offer a few weeks ago. I listened to it once and thought it was ok. It wasn’t until I listened to it on my phone (autorip) that I realised how good it was. I’m not going to go through all the tracks as everyone’s interpretations are different.

Great album, good price too,play it in the car as like to listen to the foals loud ,thanking my son for giving me new music to listen too

I love the album! I love Foals! what more can I say?The album was reduced in price and as I have other Foals albums, I purchased to complete the collectionThe package arrived without any creases, the product was well protected.

Great album from a fantastic band. I will not review it track by track, but try Inhaler for a start. Foals are like no other band, each track builds up to a crescendo of incredible noise. Best album of the year so far. Play the album as loud as possible, turn the volume right up.By the way if you get chance, go and see Foals, they are actually much better live - a real class act.