Foals Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2 Ltd Orange Vinyl LP 2019

Limited Orange Vinyl Edition

1. Red Desert
2. The Runner
3. Wash Off
4. Black Bull
5. Like Lightning
6. Dreaming Of
7. Ikaria
8. 10,000 Feet
9. Into the Surf
10. Neptune

Foals’ creative ambition for ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1’ resulted in a striking state-of-the-world-address of an album in which apocalyptic lyrical themes were equalled by the sheer impact of the music. It emerged as an immediate album of the year contender, with many hailing it as the finest moment in a consistently critically- acclaimed career. That status was cemented when it was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize last week.

Now Foals complete that artistic statement with the October 18th release of ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2’. The album has been launched with the lead track ‘Black Bull’, which is Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World.

“Part two is a heavier listen, the guitars are more emphasised and there’s some big riffs on it,” explained Philippakis in an interview with NME. “It’s a rock record and it definitely carries on the narrative from part one. Part one ended with a lot of fire and destructive imagery, part two is trying to respond to that: how you can continue in the wreckage and through the scorched earth? We’re just excited for people to hear it because it completes the journey of what we’ve made over the last year-and-a-half.”

Whereas ‘Part 1’ melded Foals’ disparate influences into a thrilling melting pot of sounds, much of ‘Part 2’ simmers with pure visceral intensity. ‘The Runner’ and ‘Black Bull’ are streamlined attacks, with vehement rhythmic onslaughts the foundation for even bigger riffs. It’s an approach that also informs ‘10,000 Feet’, as it lurches ominously from dreamy soundscapes into a heavyweight collision of post-punk and psychedelia.

Yet ‘Part 2’ also echoes the opening chapter’s eclectic nature. The cinematic instrumentals ‘Red Desert’ and ‘Ikaria’ underline that ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost’ is a journey rather than a mere collection of songs, while ‘Wash Off’ marries manic world music-tinged grooves with a punk-like intensity.

And while ‘Part 2’ extends its predecessor’s exploration of contemporary concerns – toxic masculinity in ‘Black Bull’, humanity’s dependency on tech in ‘Wash Off’ – the overall tone is set by ‘The Runner’, which hones in on the importance of fighting back against the odds. That defiance detours into tenderly romantic territory with ‘Into The Surf’ before the 10-minute ‘Neptune’ – somehow feeling like both a requiem and an elegy – brings proceedings to a close in exploratory yet emotive style.

This album, like ‘Part 1’, was produced by Foals themselves: Yannis Philippakis (vocals/guitar), Jimmy Smith (guitar), Jack Bevan (drums) and Edwin Congreave (keys), with Philippakis and Congreave contributing bass too.

Collectively, ‘Every Not Saved Will Be Lost’ is symbolic of Foals’ trajectory so far. From playing chaotic house parties in their home city of Oxford to becoming major festival headliners across Europe, they’ve earned critical acclaim (NME and Q Award wins, plus Mercury Prize, Ivor Novello and BRIT Award nominations) and fan devotion (1.7 million album sales, plus over half a billion streams at Spotify since 2015) in equal measure.

‘Part 1’ debuted at #2 on the Official Album Charts, making it the band’s joint highest charting set to date. They followed its release by completing a huge UK tour which included two sold-out shows at London’s prestigious Alexandra Palace. Foals also played triumphant sets at Glastonbury and Radio 1’s Big Weekend before headlining the Truck and Y Not Festivals.