Pala

This one’s another recommendation from a friend. This time the band is Friendly Fires, a British dance pop outfit boasting their sophomore release Pala. Upon hearing the name of the band, I must have mixed them up with the band Fleet Foxes, a band also fans of alliteration. Literary devices aside, I was expecting a soft acoustic sound from a band like fleet foxes and could not have been more surprised.

From the first song I heard “Blue Cassette” I knew that I was in different territory than I expected. The song starts out with a pulsating horn loop that seems impossible to follow but as soon as the full beat kicks in, there are no illusions about where the groove lays in the song. It immediately makes you want to stop what you’re doing and dance your face off! It’s an infectious song that is very difficult to get out of your head.

This description can be applied to almost each song on the record. At times it’s a strength and at others, a weakness. I think for the most part, it is strength. The record isn’t a tender acoustic piece that should be ripped to shreds, it’s a fun dance record that is meant to make you move, but if you stop dancing and listen to the lyrics, you might be surprised:

            Late night driving

            With every move you make

            Your head shows me the way

            And coma rising

With every move you make

            -Show Me Lights

The true strength of Pala is in its sound design and HUGENESS. The band is only made up of 3 core members but some of the songs sound ridiculously grand and big. “Pull Me Back to Earth” is the perfectly example of the grandiosity that Friendly Fires achieves on Pala.

Stand Out Tracks:

Blue Cassette

Show Me Lights

Pull Me Back to Earth

Hawaiian Air