Crazy Good: The Foals at Lincoln Hall
By Michele Lenni in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 27, 2010 6:00PM
Maturity within a band doesn't always have to mean they mellow out to the point of complete and utter boredom. In its best manifestation a group can take its original sound and develop it into something more layered, textural and overall, more tantalizing to the ear. Much is the case with British math-rockers The Foals. The five-piece released their first effort in winter of 2008, Antidotes, to a barrage of critical acclaim and notoriety across the pond. The rockers managed to release an album that was both interesting to the ear, true to their rhythm-junkie aesthetic and commercially successful.
Two years later the group released their follow up Mercury Prize nominated record, Total Life Forever. We have to admit, it took us more than a few listens to really understand what they were trying to achieve, but once the rich melodies and layered arrangements sunk into our psyche we were addicted to the band's more cultivated and evolved sound. Everything within their musical lexicon seems to have grown and changed into a more fully developed concept; especially lyrically where they are the most vulnerable and exposed than they have ever been.
We got a chance to see them two years ago on the Antidotes tour, developing our appetite for more Foals action, so we were excited to check them out this past Friday. They took the stage at the the sold-out venue and enthralled the crowd with an hour-plus set. The crowd, though strangely aggressive, jumped and sang along with a great deal of the bands selected material. All though we didn't really hear much material off the bands first record, we were stunned at how well songs off Total Life like "Black Gold" and "Spanish Sahara" had everyone in the house on their feet and somewhat uncharacteristically pumping their fists. Lead Singer Yannis Philippakis ravenously fed off the crowd's energy, climbing the lofty speakers and perilously stage diving into the frenzied crowd several times. Lincoln Hall, a venue known for near-perfect sound, did not disappoint. Even the album's smallest details seemed to ebb and flow out of each speaker. As the night progressed we realized why we loved the band in the first place: their complete dedication to not only their craft, but entertaining the hell out of an audience.