Hi!
You've heard the top 10, but now you'll have to prepare for the B-Sides! The Foals B-Sides are hidden gems awaiting those who want to find them, in my opinion. Such instantaneous classics. So wonderful. So different to their album tracks. So unique. I could almost classify all of them into their own compilation. Heck, Warner Music will probably do that and I'll definitely fork over $200 or whatever exorbarent amount they charge me to grab it on vinyl, or cassette. Anyway, I'll just briefly state my thoughts on each track and move on. I left of Hummer and Mathletics because they're more singles than B-Sides, and I also left off Try This On Your Piano and Look at my Furrows of Worry because they're a whole can of worms that I don't even want to touch today. Without further ado - here we go!
Gold Gold Gold
I feel a great sadness with this song and it's most likely through association with sad moments in my life. Despite this, I still love this song to death. Jack's unpredictable four-on-the-floor dance beat is a standout, and I do believe I've asked Harry to rip it off for some Plaza-Trg songs back in the day. The flams and fills Jack does have this strange, modular unpredictability that seem to be a pattern that I can never play along to. I like that. It's hard for me to say what melodic parts are synthesizers and what parts are samples, but I can hear the guitar line and it's quite calm for a Foals song. It's possibly the earliest use of Foals playing chords, which I find quite interesting. That being said I can't really find a bassline in the mix until around 2 minutes, which is ALSO VERY INTERESTING. I love how nerdy and cringe the lyrics can be on these B-Sides. In this song, it's the stuff like "I am the voice inside your heart" and "I know your mouth". Iyick. That being said, I do love how potent and powerful the lyrics can be as well, and I enjoy the use of repetition quite a lot. "I am a rocket, I am a rocket, you are an anchor, you are an anchor down" is a clear standout of both a lyric and a motif. The greatest part of Gold Gold Gold has to be at that 2:46 mark when the bridge section with the riff enters, before the drum beat changes and all other melodic parts copy it in unison & octave unison. My god, it is so good. It's so incredibly suave. It's a shame that it doesn't go for longer, but maybe it's good for my health that it's short. All good things in moderation. I will say the outro is okay but unnecessarily long. Maybe they were imagining quite a large live buildup for this song. Who knows. I guess it could be unfinished seeing as it's a B-Side. All in all, one of the better B-Sides!
Titan Arum
This is also one of the better B-Sides, though it might be my own personal preference. The beat for this one is so good. I dunno, Jack Bevan has a way of making these strange beats sounding so full, and bursting at the seams with life and energy. This one is full of weird flams and fills but it suits the style of the song a lot. The first section of this song is the weaker part of the song, lead mostly by the dynamic beat and synth bleeps and boops here and there. I start to space out when Foals lean into ambient guitar noise for the melody and avoid using their tasty guitar tones but there is something to be said in the eclectic array of sounds in this section. The lyrics are not particularly amazing, sounding just like passing thoughts in a diary, but I do enjoy the final line "The terror we must avoid and behold." The next section is a wonderful buildup with vocal "Ooohs" and a subtle change in drumming EQ that makes a lot of difference. There's a Foals B-side listener mix that forgoes the intro and just starts here, and I think that's a perfectly acceptable creative choice. It starts to pick up when the guitar plays the main riff in the second half of this section. The main part of this song is the faster paced section, with some wonderful syncopated keys matched with this wicked riff initially played on a guitar or a bass, and then eventually doubled with this filthy dark-sounding synth line. I really, really enjoy this section, it seems to devolve into dark-house music guitars and bass. What a strange thing to eventually change to from the opening section. It would be so incredibly cool to see this performed live, or see something like it performed live. Know anything like this? Shoot me a dm and we can discuss :^) The ending here is just so good. It sounds like it's looping but it isn't matched 100% perfectly, and I am just so keen on that. I also may have totally ripped off the ending of this song for Monket.
The Chronic
This song is just the most energetic song. Polyphony gone MAD. Again, Jack Bevan doesn't disappoint, and I think he's chosen quite an appropriate and interesting beat considering the backing arrangement. I really enjoy how incessant the beat is, it's quite maximal and wonderful. "I spark up all day" as the only lyrics is also great. It somehow reduces its identity to me but it's okay it's still pretty iconic. Harry and I were quite disappointed that he wasn't saying "I smoke pot all day" but this is just as fine of an alternative. While it may feel like an overenergetic mess sometimes, it does ebb and flow quite well. I really enjoy when this song opens up quite wildly around 2:25. There's the essence of the opening beat in The French Open in the later part in some drum parts and the arrangement, but the beat is bloody wild, doing that 3/4 thing for a bit. I'd like to think Edwin was quite in love with that beat looping pedal because it makes quite a feature in this piece. Or his hands are quite fast.
Unthink This
Unthink This is a much calmer song compared to the other songs I've reviewed so far, because it avoids excessive syncopation, and is overall quite simple, just repeating this 10 bar phrase over and over for the length of song. Jack Bevan keeps killing it with the beats. They're all so different from each other in their pattern or use or context. This one is notably restrained however I appreciate how he hallmarks sections with the style of drumming he chooses. I also especially enjoy the splashiness of the ride or crash. In terms of the lyrics I do think that the abstract imagery spoken in the lyrics does make the lyrics work. However the delivery is quite basic and there isn't that much exceptional about it, bar the yelling at the end of the song. This song isn't as weird as the other B-sides and it doesn't feel as remarkable because of that, unfortunately. It is still pretty catchy. I dunno, I'm split on this song.
Brazil is Here!
This song is quite unique. The beat that Jack Bevan plays is so unique, and I haven't heard any other song try it before. The fact that I haven't heard the main beat of this song used before is weird to me because it's not too abnormal of a beat, as it has a slight syncopation with the hihat. The backing arrangement is calm for a B-side, and has some very catchy interplay between Yannis and Jimmy that's complimented very well with Edwin's looping synth bit. I do think Walter is being a bit safe with the bass here and just staying on the one note for the majority of the song with a quaver rhythm. It may just be a placeholder, however some interesting basslines do pop up here and there towards the end of the song. This is a much better vocal performance that a lot of the B-sides but the lyrics are a bit goofy if you ask me. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH VOLCANO. I dunno I just think it doesn't create the right atmosphere with the backing arrangement. I do love the way that this song ends though. A huge section that's so texturally thick, and a nice call back to the beginning of the song. It's SICK.
Dearth
Actually, undisputably, an amazing song. Probably the best B-Side. This is where the vocal melody is at its best, full of leaps and dynamic movement that allows some variation here and there. I don't know what Yannis is sing about besides breaking our legs and cutting the phone lines on Saturday, but that doesn't matter because the melody and rhythm of the vocal carries it, letting me buy into this imagery and metaphor that Yannis offers. I also love the way the lyrics are sung, especially the first line in the song: "I could cut my hands off now", I'm not sure why. I think it's the way Yannis says "now". Dearth has the best arrangement for a B-Side, it's so catchy. Walter's bassline is at its best in this song. It's so dynamic and willing to play all over the fretboard, playing many octaves up in that first verse. I love it a lot, it makes the chorus so much more impactful when Walter jumps back in low. The interplay between the other 3 melodic instruments are quite impactful as well and further energise the song through the polyrhythmic rhythmic style compared to the 4/4 beat. I especially enjoy this towards the end of the second chorus around 1:53, where the guitar or keyboard adds this slow arpeggiation on top of the section. I don't know how they recorded Jack Bevan's drums for this song but I want to learn how because it sounds so full of life. The snare drum is a particular standout for me, especially in that section just before the second verse around 1:21 where the snare works in tandem with the kick and really drives the piece among the monotony of the beep boops and the math-rock guitars. All in all, not much bad to say about this song. It's tight, punchy and all you'd want in a Foals release.
Astronauts and All
I love this nerdy-ass song... sometimes. This very much defines the 'math-pop' genre and that's probably why it ended up as a B-side and nothing more. This song is quite good but I do find I have to be in the mood for it. Jack Bevan, what more do I have to say. He's delivered before, and here he nails it. I don't know how many more times can I say that the drumming is just so eclectic. It's always doing something with energy that's creative for the situation. Maybe I'm just a sucker for energetic beats over syncopation. Dance music things. My favourite beat is the one just before the final verse (the last "MAKE IT HAPPEN BOYS AND GIRLS) I do think this arrangement is a bit... forgettable, like I don't enjoy what the guitars are playing in the verse as much. I can't really explain it beyond the melodic choices aren't my favourite. The lyrics don't really enhance it and just make it a bit goofier than I would like, I guess. This is probably why I have to be in the mood for the song. I don't really have that much to say about this one... it's not my fave. It stil ain't bad though.
Big Big Love (Fig. 1)
The original Big Big Love. I actually strongly dislike this song. I always have. It's all fine until around 0:37, when that awful snare comes in. The chorus then employs this dance beat and I just cannot stand it. It takes away everything I like about the B-sides, like their creativity and their weirdness, and tries super hard to ham-fist this pop-song styling into the arrangement. I personally cannot stand it, it only works between 3:30 and 4:22. I'm so glad they remade this song and absolutely fixed the beat, and approached the production completely differently. I bet you this was their turning point in finding out what style the band wanted to be.
A Song For You
This is a big departure in tone from the previous B-sides. It opens with backing vocals. That's kind of crazy considering old-school Foals. I really enjoy this song as an album track. It's a slow pace math rock song with choral vocals and strings in it. I dunno that seems pretty cool for me. The guitar does this cool looping sound and it works. The vocals are used sparingly and only when necessary, and it's so great. This does feel like a precursor for Total Life Forever, and I really enjoy it as such. Jack uses quite a refined slow drumbeat for this song and it works amazingly well. There's not much more to say for me overall other than the sounds they make are quite calming and pretty, and I do enjoy it a lot.
A Sketch for ESG
This song is quite basic and is one of the purely instrumental full-length Foals songs. I think it pulls it off quite well, and would be a great song to play for a road trip or a trip in general. However, the song does end kind of strangely, and it is a bit drawn out. However, that may be for its favour when it is played live. Jack Bevan I swear is just having fun with it now. The beat keeps changing between iconic beats, I can't even choose where to begin. One of the beats did heavily inspire the chorus for the first section of MONKET. I do really enjoy that The French Open harkens back to the beat switch in this song for a phrase. It's that exciting and, dare I say it again, ICONIC. Edwin has a standout role in this piece and I wonder how much he wrote. My favourite thing about A Sketch for ESG is that the only footage that they have of Foals playing a show in someone's bedroom was playing A Sketch for ESG, and it's astounding that everyone fits in the room.
Glaciers
Glaciers is pretty epic. I'm struggling to describe it really is just an epic journey. As an epic journey, it mostly nails it however does fall short from being as epic as it can be, and is only epic in the noun sense, and not the adjective. Because it is a ballad-style song with that Foals B-side drone sound pallette it does strike me as unremarkable at some parts. There's not much to say about the opening section really, Jack is playing a slower beat quite energetically and I don't know if it works with the song. It does sound really great, and it is a really cool beat, I just don't know if it suits the section. The second section is very unique and the superior section in my opinion. I love the use of space and echo for the opening section, and I love the incredibly unconvention drumming programmed by Jack, mixed with the bass. The low end and low-mids do sound incredibly muffled at points in this song but I don't know, the vibe feels right for most of the section. Yannis's vocals and its delivery is strangely very good and evocative of powerful imagery, most likely about his father. I dunno it's quite simple but it's very effective. The repeating ending is also quite cool. Glaciers is pretty epic. I'm struggling to describe it really is just an epic journey. As an epic journey, it mostly nails it however does fall short from being as epic as it can be, and is only epic in the noun sense, and not the adjective. Because it is a ballad-style song with that Foals B-side drone sound pallette it does strike me as unremarkable at some parts. There's not much to say about the opening section really, Jack is playing a slower beat quite energetically and I don't know if it works with the song. It does sound really great, and it is a really cool beat, I just don't know if it suits the section. The second section is very unique and the superior section in my opinion. I love the use of space and echo for the opening section, and I love the incredibly unconvention drumming programmed by Jack, mixed with the bass. The low end and low-mids do sound incredibly muffled at points in this song but I don't know, the vibe feels right for most of the section. Yannis's vocals and its delivery is strangely very good and evocative of powerful imagery, most likely about his father. I dunno it's quite simple but it's very effective. The repeating ending is also quite cool.
The Forked Road
Now we're in TLF territory.... The Forked Road is one of the best Foals songs ever. This song nails that AB section that many Foals B-sides have attempted before it. The vocals in this song match the opening section, and the lyrics are there too. This song opens with just a guitar line and it seamlessly evaporates as more instrument fall into place. This song is so good with parts fading in and out seamlessly, you wouldn't even notice them disappearing. That allows it to do some very interesting stuff, like change pulse. I can't really explain how but it gradually changes from the introduced 6/8 to 4/4 as the drums come in, and it's so convincing. The second half of this song is incredible. It merges the old math-rock edge of Foals with the new funkier, calmer style of TLF. The guitar and bass lines working together just make this section for me. It's irresistible when the bassline changes note from E to C and all the energy is on the off beat. I dunno it feels so great. Jack is incredibly restrained in this song, barely even playing the kick drum for the second section, only showing shades of insanity with the fills that he does. Those fills are incredible. Yannis also plays this wonderful melody on his guitar in this section. It's quite slow for a Foals melody but it's just epic, and in the adjective sense. Overall, this song is just Glaciers done incredibly well. 10/10 a masterpiece.
Wear and Tear
I have an incredible soft spot for this song. This was in my busking repertoire throughout the later stages in high school. I do think this is up there with the best Foals songs. I think the vocals and lyrics are just so powerful and show maturity from Antidotes. I also love the persistence of backing vocals in this song, it's just such a potent throughline. It certainly was one of my favourite Foals songs for quite some time, however I do think it has fallen from grace a little bit now. The verse is incredibly refined and nothing is an accident, or out of place, or unfinished. It's so cool. Jack Bevan is so good here. That's incredibly hard to dispute. The beat at the chorus sounds simple but is incredibly nuanced, I'm not sure if it would've carried over in a live context. It does remind me so much of Soren's "The Glare" and I do think this may have influenced this song for Soren. My soft spot for any song in Bb major probably came from this song. The riff for this song is incredibly catchy and a wonderful use of syncopation in a song. The section after the second chorus before the ending is also pretty cool on the first or second listen, however you do get bored after hearing the song so many times like I have. There's not a lot to uncover here, and it's probably why I don't love this song as much as I used to. Oh well. It's still great.
Bluebird
Foals stopped mass-producing B-Sides at this point and likely saved potential B-Sides to work on for future albums, which is fair enough. All we have for Holy Fires are some CCTV sessions and this song. Bluebird. The B-Side for Holy Fire. This takes a leaf out of Moon and tries making it more like Alabaster. I'll be honest, I can probably count how many times I've listened to this song, it's never really grabbed me. It's quite forgettable. This is a newer era of Foals, and therefore a new era of Foals B-sides, where it's not about the rhythm or arrangement as much as it is about the songwriting. This is probably why I don't care as much for this song. The looping guitar part is pretty nice to listen to. This song just feels like if Foals attempted to be more like Radiohead. Don't do that. I think there's a bassoon or a flute in this song, it might just be the keys. Neat. I don't know, it's just really hard for me to connect with this song because it's just two verses, over a looping guitar part and a snare sound that makes me SNORE.
Rain
THE CITY CAN WAIT. This song is very incredibly different to many of the songs on What Went Down, and I am so glad it isn't anything like the many forgettable songs on that LP. I do think it would be a cool ending to WWD if it was after A Knife in the Ocean, but hey, it's okay that everything happened the way it did. I won't die a sadder man. The arrangement is very simple and wonderful, just a synth pad, synth keys, what I want to assume is an orchestral bass drum, some bass, and some big vocals. This is obviously Yannis's best vocal performance. The lyrics are mostly very good as well. What a combo. It should be noted that Sunday does use a similar opening synth sound, I don't know if it is the same. Apparently Sunday was a song cut off of What Went Down, so I wouldn't be surprised if this song was a result of Sunday or vice versa.
That's my list! You can probably tell I'm a bit of a shill for the earlier B-Sides, because I do appreciate an energetic arrangement over anything else from Foals. But hey, everyone has their different tastes! Some people unironically enjoy The Runner! That's okay!
That'll be it from me for now. I'm a little busy during this current lockdown period (thank goodness) but I'll try and have something written up for this time next week. I also want to say that it's exactly a month until my next Orange Orange song is out - you can presave it here! https://ditto.fm/future-role Exciting times! - R
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
ORANGE ORANGEWelcome to Orange Orange blog - Blo_orangeorange_g. Featuring writings about songs, friends, life and much more. Archives
February 2023
Categories |