By Amanda Giglio

When a friend of mine suggested listening to the newest album by Foals, I was skeptical at first. I knew a few of their songs, but was never completely in love. However, What Went Down is different. With its refreshing sound, reminiscent of bands like American Authors and Friendly Fires, this album is ethereal.

Foals is a band from Oxford, England, formed by longtime friends Yannis Philippakis, on guitar, and Jack Bevan, on drums. It began as a protest against the proggy sounds that were popular in Oxford and in Philippakis and Bevan’s former band, the Edmund Fitzgerald. If you listen to Foals’ 2013 album, Holy Fire, right after the new album, it is easy to see the similarities and differences two years have made in the band’s career. The album is smooth to listen to in full, as each song is different and inspiring in its own way. The album rises and falls with the songs, climaxing with “Albatross,” “Snake Oil” and “Night Swimmers,” upbeat songs that still feel melancholy. Starting off strong with “What Went Down” and “Mountain At My Gates,” the songs swell then relax with “A Knife In The Ocean.”

The most upbeat songs have the same vibe as Friendly Fires’ songs, like “Paris” and “Hawaiian Air,” with a smooth beat you can sway to. Since most of the songs are soothing, it is easy to understand the lyrics and sing along. In particular, “Mountain At My Gates,” has thought-provoking lyrics that at first glance seem inconspicuous, but hold an underlying dark theme of life after death. While some of the lyircs and melodies can get repetitive, the vocals are dynamic with a confident air to them, making the band that much better to listen to, even as I listen to them for the sixth time in a row while studying and writing.