Total Life Forever

Foals - Total Life Forever
Critic Score
Based on 28 reviews
2010 Ratings: #108 / 924
Year End Rank: #24
User Score
Based on 591 ratings
2010 Rank: #114
Liked by 69 people
May 10, 2010 / Release Date
LP / Format
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Fly
At a time when there’s a dearth of new guitar bands, ‘Total Life Forever’ will establish Foals as one of the UK’s most important – their second album is an inventive, thrilling and flawless masterpiece.
91
A.V. Club

TLF is a bid to be less in your face than in your head, and while its effect is less immediate, it’s a comedown that’s way more fun than the party.

80
PopMatters

As soon as Foals’ guitars begin their patient chime, it’s clear that this is a band suddenly and surprisingly in full control of its powers.

80
Clash
‘Total Life Forever’ is a massive leap forward for the band. The music writhes with a renewed ambition, capable of moving from near ambient strains of electronica to propulsive African funk in a drum break. Shifting from their 2D debut album, ‘Total Life Forever’ is a three-dimensional triumph.
80
Alternative Press
Even when Foals stretch back into the comfortable strides of danceable beats and scratchy guitars, it is tinged with something sour and slightly acidic. This isn't the same band we once knew–thank heaven for that.
76
Pitchfork

At every turn, Total Life Forever is inviting. Much more alive than earlier efforts, it's an album with a complexion that constantly changes with time.

73
Beats Per Minute
Foals is a band with untapped potential: they’ve got a solid vocalist, are more than competent at their instruments, and clearly have an ear for melodies, but the way they put their music together remains mostly uninspiring.
70
Drowned in Sound

Where Antidotes had blitzkriegs, Total Life Forever has drawn-out hypnoses; where Antidotes was furious and muscular and destructive, Total Life Forever is quiet and sinister and inconsolable.

70
American Songwriter
Some songs linger too long like a bee that tip-toes across your skin trying to discern whether you really are in fact pollen.
70
AllMusic

Where some see restraint, others may very well see refinement, and those who appreciated Antidotes' more spacy passages will find that Foals' reinvention of their sound is a calculated risk that definitely pays off.

60
Tiny Mix Tapes

At its core, Total Life Forever is a good dance record: something you could leave on at a party and not stop moving to until its full 50 minutes have finished. But as much as it tries to run away from that, it isn’t a whole lot else.

UltimateLifeFrm
85

Shoutout to @Angel413 for the suggestion!

I've been wanting to dive further into the dream pop scene since it seems like a consistent genre that's full of surprises as well as a sense of heartfelt nostalgia in terms of its atmosphere and lyrical content.

Well, I got the right recommendation with the sophomore album from British indie rock band Foals, whose music does a solid job of capturing the essence of both genres with the dreamy atmosphere over some nice rock-influenced production.

The ... read more

GreNewl
100

aight so if my pfp didnt give it away I am a BIT biased fine, sure. but hear me out.

While I was a child in 2008 and didnt know what a foal was I can imagine after hearing unique, off the wall, dancy, melancholic mayhem on antidotes, this isnt really what a lot of foals fans were hoping for in their follow up release. Hell antidotes is one of my favourite albums, even the creepy ominous bsides and childish artwork of that era had something special about them that foals would never really visit ... read more

SnowyFighter
81

Don’t drown wtf

Very good indie rock album! So many great hooks. I’ve been meaning to check out this band I’m finally glad that I did because yea there’s a lot of good stuff. This tingles the indie rock itch I constantly fucking have. I love the production, the guitar work is really nice. A lot of catchy stuff within the guitars and that’s why I think it stands out more. Spanish Sahara is probably my favorite song I LOVE the ending so much. Blue Blood is also a ... read more

98

Literally copy this style please, I can't just keep listening to this till I die. I might have to though. There aren't many albums that had the opportunity to connect with me to this level. I'm not joking when I say this: one of those albums is Smoke + Mirrors by Imagine Dragons and I'm not gonna elaborate, if you get it you get it.

TerraTom
80

this album is beautiful. thats the only word for it.

Favourite Songs: Blue Blood, Spanish Sahara, After Glow

LeMrX
80

Pretty great album. Spanish Sahara will be playing in my funeral.

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