It has been said so many times it has become tiring, but these last five years have seemed like the beginning of the end for guitar music. The Maccabees called it a day, Arctic Monkeys strutted back into the spotlight and ticked a fair few people of with Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. The 1975 have the panache but are drowned in so much synth and 90s R&B callbacks it’s hard to associate them with anything rock related. Foals however, have stayed consistent, delivering muddy guitar riffs and moments of grand psychedelia while still being able to sellout tours.

Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 is undeniably Foals, the grooves, danceable kickdrums and enough arena anthems to please the summer festival circuit. The opening track ‘Moonlight’ is a slow burning atmospheric introduction to a new area of Foals that builds to an almost orchestral ending filled with glitchy synth and front man Yannis Philippakis’ vocals shrouded in almost ghostly reverb. From the opening line Foals are treading darker themes than any of their past efforts, this is an album riddled with apocalyptic imagery and political commentary. Trump get a name drop on in ‘On The Luna’ and cities are burning on the track ‘Sunday’. However, despite the bands shift in tone and leaning towards heavier subject matters, sonically the band hasn’t quite evolved in the same way.

The global warming focused lead single ‘Exits’ oozes with swagger and grit while also sporting one of the records most memorable choruses but is burdened by echoing similar sounds and formulas from past albums. This familiar territory will be a fan pleaser, no doubt, and as welcomed as it is at first it quickly runs the risk of becoming unexciting. Though this can be said about multiple moments in the track list there are moments where the bands true genius glistens. The quivering synth and bouncy bass of ‘In Degrees’ makes for one of Foals most danceable cuts to date while tracks ‘Syrups’ and ‘Café D’Athens’ displays the bands command over layering and texture in full.

2019 has become the year of political concept double albums, The 1975 and Foals leading the charge unashamed. Listening to the first part of this project you can’t help but feel that this bold move was an effort to prove something to themselves and fans. There have been some cracks in the road in the bands recent history with bassist Walter Gervers stepping away in 2018, a man who was key to some of the bands most groove heavy moments. Just listen back to track ‘Black Gold’ from the bands sophomore album ‘Total Life Forever.’

As bold as this album attempts to be when the piano lead ballad ‘I’m Done With The World (& It’s Done With Me)’ fades to a close it’s hard to imagine where the band will take us next that justifies a second part to this project. Whether it will be another crowd-pleasing nod to the formulas of past material or a complete left turn we will have to wait for the next single.

Liam Rutherford
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