Admittedly, I did not latch on to UK trio Friendly Fires right away, accidentally lumping them in with the onslaught of guy-liner bands that were regurgitating their version of "music" around that time. I could not have been more incorrect. Their 2008 self-titled debut is bursting with indie dance nuggets with punk angles for days. It quickly became a worthy addition to the genre championed by like minded artists The Rapture, Franz Ferdinand, !!! and Klaxons. Their followup Pala is due for release on May 24 in the US on XL Recordings. However, you can get an early taste of the album here and grab a free download to boot.
The new track "Live Those Days Tonight" is slightly less punk and more of a nod to eighties R&B as the smooth vocals take on a new confidence not found in their earlier work. Yet the frantic drums reveal the true nature of the band as the disco bassline, techno breakdowns and house piano makes this engine chug along. Not sure if the abrupt ending is because of an attempt to keep album integrity or if it is just a bad choice in the studio. Still this party starter is a good sign for what comes next. Bonus: Friendly Fires will be headlining a gig at Lincoln Hall on May 31. Grab your tickets in advance here as this show will surely sell out.
Right-click to download "Live Those Days Tonight" here.
Pre-order Pala here.
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