Too much of Friendly Fires' second effort fails to inspire
Pulling out of the shadow of nu-rave, the Friendly Fires come back with the lush-sounding, dancey Pala. But while the band have definitely got a clear vision of what they’re doing, it comes across as a bit predictable and unimaginative.
Slick production and a summery air make something that’s generally enjoyable to listen to, with a couple of genuine bangers in there; opening track “Live Those Days Tonight” is indie euphoria at its finest. But the contribution of Ed McFarlane does leave something to be desired. Not quite a great vocalist, his lyrical abilities don’t stand up to scrutiny too well either. Surely a chorus needs a bit more effort than repeatingly singing “All I wanted is to feel true love” or “As I hear your voice, it sets my heart on fire”?
The latter lyric actually comes on what is actually the finest moment of the album, “Blue Cassette”. A beautiful old-school sampling effect leads into an explosion of energy and drums which, admittedly, will set your heart on fire. Moments like this are what the Friendly Fires do best; the surges of emotion which lit up “White Diamonds” and “Skeleton Boy” on their debut LP work to great effect on the despairing “Pull Me Back To Earth”.
But too much on here which sounds like filler. The odd synth or drum here and there catches your attention, but tracks as a whole fail to build up a lot of atmosphere. There’s a lot to be said for the smoothness of the title track, but songs such as “Helpless” neither inspire nor create a real sense of ambience.
It’s hard to say that the Friendly Fires have failed in taking this direction with their music; after all, something as summery and sumptuous as “Hawaiian Air” is always going to get a lot of radio play. They and producer Paul Epworth have crafted a pleasing sound, but without enough of the breathtaking moments that the band is capable of.
This album was released on 16 May 2011 by Rough Trade, available from the label's website or HMV.
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