6 Star Albums

Once in a while, an album comes along that is quality all the way through. There aren't many better things in life for me than discovering a new favourite album. I want to share that feeling, and so I want to make some personal recommendations, from me, to you, of albums you might not have heard. On iTunes, ratings go up to 5 stars, but these... I call them 6 Star Albums...

Part 1: Total Life Forever - Foals

Total Life Forever was released in 2010 by Oxford's finest export, Foals; the second studio album from the group. Fittingly described by the band as sounding "like the dream of an eagle dying", it has an emotional vibe running through it that really appeals to me.

The album opens with the excellent 'Blue Blood'; a hymn to the angst of adolescence, tinged with both sadness and hope, with an accompanying video that sums up all the feelings the track attempts to convey.

Another stand-out song is 'Black Gold'; personally my favourite track on the album, with its unorthodox structure that takes the listener on a journey from a relatively upbeat beginning, through an instrumental breakdown, to an atmospheric and slightly dark conclusion.

The album as a whole carries the feeling of teenage life and its agonies and ecstasies, with another song, 'This Orient', striking me as a song dedicated to the joy of new love. 

This is an an album that is well worth a listen by anyone who remembers the awkwardness of their teenage years. Its thoughtful and well crafted, and an excellent listen from start to finish. Cop it.