There are albums that soundtrack a season, and then there are albums that seem to bottle a specific kind of restless, expansive energy. For the late 2000s/early 2010s indie rock crowd, Foals’ sophomore effort, Total Life Forever , was exactly that. And while streaming has made the record easily accessible, there’s something special about hunting down the release.
The physical design of the is a work of art in itself. The album art—a haunting, holographic-esque image of a white stag emerging from a dark, morphing forest—was designed by Tinhead (Dave Ma). Foals - Total Life Forever -Limited Edition- 2CD -2010-
In the pantheon of 21st-century British indie rock, few transitions are as striking as the one Foals executed between their debut album, Antidotes (2008), and its sophomore successor. While Antidotes was a jagged, math-rock flurry of spliced guitars and yelped vocals—defined by its frantic energy and precocious cool— Total Life Forever represented a moment of maturation, a deepening of emotional resonance, and a sonic expansion that broke the band out of the "art-school disco" box. There are albums that soundtrack a season, and
Album Review: ‘Total Life Forever’ by Foals - At the Sinema The physical design of the is a work of art in itself
The result was Total Life Forever , an album that contains their undisputed masterpiece, the slow-burning, garage-house anthem Other tracks like "Blue Blood," "Miami," and the titular "Total Life Forever" showcased a band comfortable with silence, dynamics, and emotional vulnerability. The album won the prestigious 2010 Mercury Prize for Best Album? (No—that went to The xx, though Total Life Forever was shortlisted). Regardless, it cemented Foals as stadium-ready artists.
Of course, "This Orient" still packs that signature guitar interplay, and "Miami" remains an underrated deep cut. But it was the title track, "Total Life Forever," that proved the band could groove as hard as they could sprint.
[Tags: Foals, Total Life Forever, Limited Edition, Indie Rock, CD Collecting, 2010s Music]
- Spades is a partnership card game. Your partner in this game sits directly in front of you.
- First, you must bid on how many of the 13 tricks you think you can take.
- Each player plays one card and the four cards together are called a Trick.
- The highest card played on a trick (2 low, Ace high) wins it and Spades are Trump.
- Tricks count 10 points each for a partnership if the contract is made, and 10 against if it is set.
- If you go over your contract you will gather what's called a Bag for each extra trick you win.
- If you gather 10 bags you will deducted 100 points.
- A successful Nil bid is worth one hundred points, or minus one hundred if failed.
- The first team to score 300 or 500 points wins.