Foals, “Life Is Yours.”

For their seventh album, Oxord, U.K. alt-rockers Foals dial in their sound to offer up an eclectic and upbeat effort filled with summertime anthems built on tight writing and musicianship.

Life Is Yours
Foals
Warner, June 17
7/10

Never working with the same producer twice, the band enlisted a team of three for Life Is Yours: AK Paul, John Hill and Dan Carey. The resulting record is expressive and lively, brought to life through an array of production styles. At its core, this is a guitar-driven record of danceable rock that sounds like everything from Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party and the Bee Gees. The writing strikes a different tone than the band’s prior effort, the expansive Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost.

The band makes an immediate statement with the title track and its bouncy beat and choppy synth buoyed by clean guitar strumming. Like many of the songs, the beats are big and sit right at the forefront. Singer-guitarist Yannis Philippakis’ vocal presence is strong, if set ever so slightly behind the mix.

“Life is yours, break away,” Philippakis sings.

The party atmosphere continues on “Wake Me Up,” a memorable and instantly infectious dance-rocker defined by its loud, overdriven drumming. Philippakis’ lyrical guitar playing also cuts through with a slick riff that keeps the song moving. The singer gets some help from backing vocals by the band in the chorus that make it feel more live and immediate.

The following “2AM” keeps things upbeat, but with a different personality than the pair of tracks that preceded it. Instead of percussion, the track is driven by synths to move forward. However, drummer Jack Bevan and multi-instrumentalist Jimmy South hold down the rhythm section admirably. Much like its title, “2001” feels like a throwback. While it taps into aughts-era Franz Ferdinand, one could look back even further to the funk and soul of the ’70s and ’80s for inspiration.

Interlude “(summer sky)” naturally transitions into “Flutter,” the first track to break the streak of danceable alt-rock. “Flutter” uses a groove-heavy sound, dropping some of the urgency while digging into blues rock territory. Foals looked to mix different creative processes while making the album, and this track seems to be the beneficiary of that process.

“Looking High” reverts back to some of the earlier personalities on the record, with an infusion of melodic pop. When Philippakis matches his vocal melody with his guitar on the chorus, the song really hits its stride on the wall-of-sound bridge. “Under the Radar” is interesting because it blends the energy of the early portion of the album with an entirely different production voice. Awash in a spacey reverb, it moves via its bouncy synth playing rather than any kind of big beats or loops.

Foals tap into a Talking-Heads-esque sound on “Crest of the Wave,” which mixes an upbeat and energetic chorus with nuanced ethereal verses. The vibrant, danceable “The Sound” once again turns things on its head, with a chaotic and hectic sound—though by design. Philippakis’ vocals are buried much deeper in the mix, with the guitars and synths leading the way.

The record concludes with “Wild Green,” which on one hand could be viewed as more of a ballad, but on the other, it’s one of the poppier tunes on the album. The driving loops and synths take away a little of the lyrics’  intimacy, but the track successfully ends things in a melodic and positive light.

Life Is Yours offers a lot to like for fans and the band’s choice to bring in multiple production voices makes it feel more like a living piece of work.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.