Favourite Album of 2008 – Friendly Fires by Friendly Fires
Last December 2007, in the crowd, eagerly awaiting Interpol to appear on stage at the RDS Dublin, support act wander onto the stage, christ, who are these kids, five minutes into their act, mmmmm, ten minutes later, oh yes… hello Friendly Fires. Late 2008 comes the self titled debut album. Whoooo.
What an album. Best album of 2008 by far.
Friendly Fires fuse together funky disco rock with thwangs of electro pop and house beats to conjure up one of the most refreshing and unique albums I have ever had the pleasure of hearing . Each song has the same energy and enthusiasm as the last and its quality never drops. What I love about Friendly Fires is the no nonsense approach to banging out a great tune. There is no bullshit with these guys at all. Pretty refreshing since most new young bands from the UK sing of a pretty bland hymn sheet in my opinion.
Some Videos?
Rolling Stone gave the album a very deserved 4.5 out of. 5..
At heart, they are strict pop formalists, packing each track with peppy hooks (“On Board,” as heard in a Wii ad), gushy New Romantic choruses (“Jump in the Pool”) and Talking Heads-style nerd funk (“In the Hospital,” which sounds like “Crosseyed and Painless” as sung by Ron Weasley). From the outside, they’re buzzy, club-ready jams, but singer Ed MacFarlane sounds more like a softy than a player — he wants to cuddle you, not freak you.
Some Music?
Skeleton Boy [audio:http://www.album.ie/2008/songs/Friendly-Fires-Skeleton-Boy.mp3]
Strobe [audio:http://www.album.ie/2008/songs/Friendly-Fires-Strobe.mp3]
Paris (Aeroplane Remix) [audio:http://www.album.ie/2008/songs/Friendly-Fires-Paris-Aeroplane-Remix.mp3]
