Friendly Fires first met at school in St Albans where as fourteen year olds they formed an post-hardcore band called First Day Back. They then went off to university where they lightened up a bit and came back to form a new more dance music influenced band. After several single and EP releases they put out an eponymous debut album.
When they were First Day Back, Ed Macfarlane played bass, but in Friendly Fires he has also taken on lead vocal and synth duties. Drummer Jack Savidge also plays bass on some tracks with programmed beats. So, they have a kind of strange dynamic in that guitarist Edd Gibson consistently plays the same instrument and the other two flit about on stage. One track without any bass is the brilliantly idealistic Paris, which is basically just percussion and a heavily effect laden guitar line.
What is particularly remarkable about the album is that it was all recorded by the band themselves on a laptop in Macfarlane's parent's basement, with the exception of Jump In The Pool (the theme for BBC1's Final Score) produced by indie/dance crossover guru Paul Epworth, but sounds amazing.
On reflection it seems strange to me that this album, which could reasonably be termed post-Klaxons (a band that did not even make my Top 40) is sitting at number four in my chart. It is just that is such an ebullient album that I can't help liking it.
Recommended Track: Lovesick (or Luuuurve.....sik, as he actually sings it)
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