And your ears shall hear…

Friendly Fires “Jump In The Pool”

There is a Sage Francis line that is ripe with innuendo and cynicism that contemplates that terms “friendly fire” and “civil war.”  When you think about these terms yourself, they are a little contradicting.  No matter; either way, this is a line that has never left my consciousness since hearing him rap it,  and is now in my head more than ever since I have been listening to this new dance rock outfit called Friendly Fires.  They don’t sound like New Order per say, but they have the same sensibilities.  Poppy melodic vocals, over upbeat, fast-tempo-ed synths and guitars.  The songs are addicting, and the LP is an easy listen, flowing right through to the end.  “Jump In The Pool” is a great first single, at least enough to drag the listener into the rest of the record.  On the second single “Strobe,” dare I say that these guys remind me me of their label-mates “the Cutters,” otherwise known as Cut Copy.  Listen to the glorious vocal track on “Strobes,” and tell me you don’t hear any similarities.  To this point though, I have been completely hooked on the the song “Ex-Lover,” a bit of a pop masterpiece, consisting of Radiohead-esque guitar shimmers and some super shiny summer falsettos, echoing the lyrics “your all that I need.”  I can’t stop singing that line, and had to even look on my Ipod to get the name of the song, as that hook is all I could remember.  Apparently, that ex-lover is all he really needed…  “White Diamonds” has a little bit a Franz guitar feel, but the vocal stands on it’s own, grooving over the top.   One more song of note is “Lovesick,” which has some of the same lyrics and reminds me of a song that was forever played on dance floors across the world.  But, their secret is safe with me  if no one else notices.  These guys wear their influences on their sleeve, and I want to take nothing away from this record.  Whatever the case, Friendly Fires is the anthem to a  summer that is finally here, enjoy them both while you have time.

Friendly Fires “Strobe” (Live Stereogum’s “Decomposed Sessions)

Friendly Fires “Skeleton Boy”