Jury's Top Ten Records of 2013: #4

#4: Foals - Holy Fire

Clearly, Foals are the world's greatest new-new wave/alt-rock/white funk band on the planet, effortlessly blending vibraphone with string-synths, walking basslines and intricate math-rock guitar. I was trying to conjure up what many of the sounds in this remind me of, and I wracked my brain for ages, over many, many listens before I decided it was “the 80’s”. Totally in a good way, though.

Some other 2013 records:
Kylesa – Ultraviolet: I’ve always really enjoyed Kylesa’s music, just as much as I’ve always disliked Phillip Cope’s atonal, shouted vocals. Nothing’s changed; this is another collection of great riffs and quasi-psychedelic sludge ruined by Mr. Shouty.

Noye – Away: Reasonably accomplished fuzzed out and sometimes flanged sludge/hardcore, which I realize is a strange combination, but that’s how it sounds to me, with a really deep low end but mostly up-tempo. The vocals are acceptable (check the great wails on Hrimthur) but for all I know they’re singing in their native Russian. Quite promising but requires more variety.