Foals Antidotes
Although Foals principles Yannis Philippakis and Jack Bevan quit their original math-rock outfit The Edmund […]
Although Foals principles Yannis Philippakis and Jack Bevan quit their original math-rock outfit The Edmund Fitzgerald because they wanted to lighten up a bit, listeners are still going to need to know a few algorithms to get the post-punk funk of Antidotes. (A background in Wire, Depistado, Talking Heads, and Sweep the Leg Johnny might come in handy as well.) But even neophytes are probably going to fall for the pogo-skank of “Cassius” or the deconstructed ska of “The French Open.” The only major question is whether they’re going to have enough juice for the entire effort. Foals rarely let up: Even the cerebral harmonics of “Olympic Airways” or the angular moans of “Heavy Water” feel like heart attacks wrapped in synths and silk. But in these days of Pro Tools and MySpace slack jobs, it’s a beautiful thing to watch such rich riffage go for broke.