I’m coming around on this new Foals record, Holy Fire. The last one took me a long time to get into as well. It’s hard to get past my expectations for a particular style from them. Their debut, Antitdotes, was my favorite record of 2008. Both successive albums have veered off course from that astounding debut, leaning towards a more produced, cultivated, and commercial sound. While I miss frontman Yannis Philippakis’ yelps and the frantic Battles-esque guitar interplay, the darker, more subdued direction is working, albeit painstakingly. It’s just a slower burn. And speaking of dark, this video is crazily dark and violent.