When I heard the new Foals single was called “Spanish Sahara”, I’ll admit that the title alone had me reasonably excited. The zippy dance punk singles “Cassius” and “Balloons” were – in my mind – markedly preferable to the lengthier math rock treatises that filled much of the rest of debut Antidotes. “Spanish Sahara”, then, could plausibly have signalled a movement towards the current balearic/hypnagogic pop trends, and an extrapolation on the fun of “Cassius” et cetera. I was imagining something distinctly tribal and summery with goofy lyrics. It had potential.
Of course, the aphorism dictates not to judge a book by its cover, and, thus, “Spanish Sahara” proves an ironically moody piece made all the more plaintive by the recently released video. There are no Lacoste references here; this is devoid of silliness. Foals’ version of the Sahara is intriguing and decidedly wintry.
“Spanish Sahara” is the lead single from Foals’ new record Total Life Forever, which is due out on May 10 on Transgressive Records in the UK, and Sub Pop in the US.
