Foals – Exits

With a two part album set for release in March and the latter end of 2019, Exits, is the first take of this new era of Foals; becoming social media disruptors, much like any internationally recognised act over the past few years has done with a new LP.

The age of a simple we’re back has been rapidly disappearing for some time now; making way for Spotify visuals unlocked through cryptic online messages. Foals are the latest act to join this new era, however, struggling to take off with Exits.

Previous LP debuts Inhaler and What Went Down, both packed a major first punch. The swampy, heavy breathing of Inhaler and What Went Down’s roof raising riffs were volatile and nasty, demanding fans to take notice of a more serious Foals and to be enticed by this new destructive landslide of musky guitar riffs.

Exits, rather surprisingly, feels like a return to their earliest work, the “lost” moment between Total Life Forever and Holy Fire if you will. The joyous, math rock style of Foals appears to be returning, however the punch of a new Foals single that Holy Fire introduced with Inhaler, has been watered down on Exits, with its online presence being much more exciting than the track itself. It’s much more of an “oh, ok” than a “what are they doing? I need more!”. The shock of Inhaler and WWD isn’t present on Exits, even with is math rock approach, but maybe that’s a good thing.

The Oxford group seem to have a nack for their second single becoming the more popular track of the two; when it comes to a new LP emerging. Exits is neither a bad song nor a great one, although no one wants to hear “that could have been better”. There’s much left to be desired from Foals following Exits, so here’s to waiting patiently for another sticker parade to tell us when the second single is out.