On the Horizon: Foals' Chug With This Orient

Following the disturbed introversion of Foals' sneak peek into forthcoming second long player Total Life Forever that was Spanish Sahara, a schizophrenic shattered mirror of sounds that slotted together better than a jigsaw made from idyllically sculpted cloud formations, Yannis & co. have outed This Orient, the first single to be lifted from the record. Set for commercial release during the darling buds of May, it's yet another diversion from the snug safety of expectation, yet This Orient seems to backpedal into their rough early offcuts and remedial Antidotes (the whimsically ping-pong guitar stabs of Astronauts and All make a cameo appearance, alongside the sonic swathes that washed a sense of respite into the dying embers of their exalted debut). Spanish Sahara, in all its enraptured claustrophobia and spine-chilling minimalism once more seems radically disparate when confronted with the wares they may well be touting at a handful of summer festivals in the coming months. Call me a pedant, but This Orient is as frustratingly predictable as drive time radio and reeks of the stagnant stench of Bloc Party's A Weekend in the City, an album festering in the mire of mediocrity at best. Spanish Sahara took its time to lodge itself in the forefront of every waking thought and iPod play counts, but This Orient somewhat dashes the shakes and squirms of anticipation corporeally induced a couple of weeks back...