Foals

Foals play to their strengths on 'Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Pt 2' (stream it)

Foals began 2019 in a bold way by announcing a two-part LP, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, with the first half being released in the spring, and the second half later in the winter. Releasing two full-length records in one year is always a risky gamble; that’s not to say the feat hasn’t been pulled off successfully in the past (just ask Big Thief, who put out two stellar albums this year), but the idea of putting out multiple albums within months of each other begs certain questions. Is it worth it? Would it have been better off to pare the songs down into one album? Would fans suffer from overexposure and fatigue from all the music?

The album’s first half was thankfully one of Foals’ strongest and most consistent statements to date, balancing upbeat, danceable bangers and mellower ballads, with enough variety in between to keep things interesting (the album’s songs translated extremely well live too). And fortunately, the band has kept the momentum going with Part 2.

The band initially promoted Part 2 as being the more aggressive, guitar-heavy album fans have been craving for years, supported by the ferocious lead single “Black Bull.” While those claims turned out to be exaggerated (like their claims that What Went Down was to be a “heavy” album despite it being among their mellowest), Foals continue to play to their strengths on each track here. A few of the album’s singles were initially underwhelming, but they’re far more enjoyable within context of the album, especially groovy song “The Runner,” which is greatly aided by the tense setup of ambient intro track “Red Desert.”

The record also contains some of the band’s most ambitious music, including Foals’ longest track to date: the monolithic 10-minute closer “Neptune,” whose lengthy builds can be compared to the similarly climactic “Sunday” off Part 1. Aside from this, the band doesn’t stray too far from their usual formula, with songs like “Wash Off” and “Dreaming Of” playing within their usual atmospheric dance-rock wheelhouse. The band’s lack of surprises on Part 2 might leave some expectant fans feeling slightly shortchanged, but the album has enough thrilling moments, hip-shaking basslines, and memorable riffs to justify its existence.

Foals are also touring the UK, Europe and Asia through mid-2020, and they’ve also got an upcoming tour documentary, “Rip Up The Road,” which hits Amazon Prime Video on November 15. You can view all tour dates, and watch the documentary trailer below.

Foals – 2019/2020 Tour Dates
NOV 1 BIME FESTIVAL BILBAO, SPAIN
MAR 3 CLUB QUATTRO NAGOYA, JAPAN
MAR 4 BIG CAT OSAKA, JAPAN
MAR 5 STUDIO COAST TOKYO, JAPAN
APR 13-18 SNOWBOMBING MAYRHOFEN, AUSTRIA
APR 29 USHER HALL EDINBURG, UNITED KINGDOM
MAY 2 OLYMPIA LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
MAY 6 EMPRESS BALLROOM BLACKPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM
MAY 9 BIRMINGHAM ARENA BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
JUL 10 CARDIFF CASTLE CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM

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