Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Foals, Warner Music UK 2019.
English band Foals has undergone a metamorphosis as a result of losing their founding member and bass player, Walter Gervers, who amicably departed after their 2017 album What Went Down.
Losing someone the band considered irreplaceable brought about a period of recalibration, reorganisation and ultimately rejuvenation.
Lead singer Yannis Philippakis took on production duties and adopted the bass parts (along with keyboardist Edwin Congreave) and together with guitarist Jimmy Smith and drummer Jack Bevan the band set out to break new ground.
Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost: part 1 is the first part of a double album that sets out to break the traditional pop song structure. The second half will be released later this year.
The 10 tracks on this disc defy categorisation and expectation.
There are exploratory tracks that occasionally approach the10-minute length alongside atmospheric pieces that segue from track to track giving the album a united artistic and progressive feeling.
The album’s title seems to sum up the band’s approach.
In relentless experimentation it is important to accurately record what you have so that nothing is inadvertently lost.
The band completed the album by writing in a rehearsal space before exporting those ideas to the studio to be further developed and recorded.
This cycle of writing in one space and recording in another created a sort of feed-back loop that constantly pushed each new idea to fruition.
The album’s title is also a timely warning that our planet’s biodiversity may be in danger of being permanently erased.
It’s a theme that permeates the albums lyrics. A mirror to our fear of environmental collapse and unfettered state surveillance.
Yannis Philippakis says that: “These songs are white flags, or they’re SOSs, or they’re cries for help…each in a different way.”
Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost: Part 1 is a thought provoking and inspiring album.
