New Foals - "Balloons"

Download: Foals - "Balloons"

Though the track has been floating around the internet for a while now, it was only yesterday that Sub Pop made the first official single from UK synth-heavy dance-punk group Foals debut album Antidotes available as a download. The record is due for a UK release on March 24th and a US release on April 9th.

Foals are a quintet which formed out of the ashes of band members Yannis Philippakis and Jack Bevan previous group, a math-rock ensemble called The Edmond Fitzgerald. Though Foals doesn't have the jittery cacophony of most math-rock, a similar emphasis on percussion propels "Balloons".

The group may self-deprecatingly refer to their music as being in a "pretentious proggy math-rock comfort zone", but the strutting disco beat, intertwining guitar lines, subtle synth touches, and baritone sax (no doubt the touch of produced Dave Sitek of T.V. on the Radio) make a very strong counterargument to any potential detractors. Those who thought Liars peaked with their first record (I don't understand you, but, hey, no judgments here. Scout's honor), or want a less esoteric version of the mighty polyrhythms of Battles, might want to check out Foals.

Antidote is out on April 8th via Sub Pop.

Foals MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)