The entire feel of this group is like something I've never heard of before. They drew me in initially with their 2009 single "Kiss of Life", and that same primitive, almost tribal, vibe has continued in the new album. The vocals are airy and the lyrics are very positive and feel-good. This album, compared to the last, has a bit more simplistic feel to it, focusing more on lyrics than the beats themselves.
As much as I love this album, I know it isn't exactly for everyone. The group is very distinctive, and they don't have that usual dancey quality of the groups I usually post about on here. I myself have to be in a "Friendly Fires mood", but when I get in that groove, these songs are everything. I guess what I'm trying to say is for people to give them a shot, because you never know whether you will like this odd group or not.
Friendly Fires is a band that is hard to place. Their sound is more experimental than most of what you would hear today. I think they might have had a better place in the 80s when the synth was fresh and new, and everybody was trying to find the newest and most creative sound. Today, popular music has a bit more set path that people expect it to follow, and when something isn't club ready or remixable, people tend to overlook it. Thankfully, the group has not been discouraged yet, nor shown signs of slowing down.
Stand out tracks include "Hawaiian Air", "Hurting", and "Blue Cassette". Included on the iTunes bonus version is a cover of Depeche Mode's "Strange Love" which is an amazing, yet weird fit for Friendly Fires. The vocals are spot on, keeping that same rumbling yet haunting voice that Depeche Mode is so famous for.
You can get the album on iTunes.
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