Album Review: Foals - Holy Fire

After listening to this record a half dozen times, one question continues to rise to the surface: where does Holy Fire fit in the constantly shifting world of musical genres?

Is it rock'n'roll? Sure, there are songs like Inhaler that are built for a mass of heaving bodies, but it seems an exception rather than the rule.

Is it pop? Not really, given the angular, jarring contradictions between singer Yannis Philippakis' vocals and the rhythms and riffs. Even the lush chorus of Bad Habit pulls up before reaching the mainstream accessibility of, say, the Temper Trap's Sweet Disposition.

Is it indie? My Number and Everytime would certainly suggest so, their marimba, percussion and ooh-oohs leaving a watermark on the songs. But the slow-burning Late Night, with its guitar riff and keyboard progression befitting its title, doesn't quite seem to fit the mould.

So, again, where the hell do Foals fit into the musical landscape of 2013? The easiest answer: at the forefront. Shape shifting over the 11 tracks, the Oxford band lets each number build and sway, so that by each song's end emotions have lifted and dived so many times it almost seems unfair to the listener's ears. Whereas moments like the album's bookends, Prelude and Moon, could sit in the background of a conversation, most of the record requires the listener to actively pay attention.

Philippakis' lyrics are often indecipherable amongst the musical layers, but on tracks like Out of the Woods they soar beautifully above the instruments. Holy Fire is ambitious, but it's almost impossible to fault. Foals prove they are brilliant musicians, and producers Flood & Moulder work wonders on this record. Don't try to define it – just enjoy it.