English
Just in the name of the band we can appreciate some of the characteristics which make the acclaimed British band Friendly Fires – who will present ´Pala´, their second album, at Sala Razzmatazz in Barcelona (http://www.salarazzmatazz.com/) on the 10th of December – something special in the scene that they essentially come from. The fires to which the second word makes reference to can be fitting with the independent spirit of a band which has been self-sufficient from the beginning.
Friendly Fires began as an essentially live band who released their singles (the second of which ´Paris´, was chosen as the single of the week by The Guardian, the NME and BBC Radio 1) by themselves and at their own risk. Actually, at the end of 2007, they were the first band without a label to appear on ´Transmission´, the musical programme on Channel 4. Such pedigree of a genuinely independent band coming from a scene which can be labelled a mix of dance-punk and shoegazing, is toned by the adjective ´friendly´, which in some way rhymes with their declared vocation as a pop band, understanding the term in relation with the association of this type of music with creations of catchy music and melodies.
Despite the rejection that it generates in an important part of their fans, who find this type of music limited and confined to the demands of the industry, the truth is that the members of Friendly Fires have defined themselves essentially as a pop group, in good measure to avoid being labelled in a determined type of scene and trying to escape any type of exclusivity regarding their music.
This declared pop vocation, with a clear nod, almost nostalgic, to 80s music with the song ´Blue Cassette´, to give a significant example, seems to be the distinctive feature of ´Pala´, a title which escapes any type of frivolity and turning once more into a world which belongs more to the independent scene, this is a direct reference to the novel by Aldous Huxley ´The Island´, considered mainly as the perfect counterpoint – for presenting a utopian model of society in an imaginary islands where science and technology are used to guarantee a healthy and balanced lifestyle and being respectful with the environment at the same time that they dedicate themselves to contemplation, leisure and personal development – to ´Brave new world´, published thirty years before.
Actually, it´s their first album properly conceived as such because their previous one (their acclaimed self-titled album) was basically a collection of singles previously released as such or as EPs. Maybe because of that, Friendly Fires have taken their time this time around. It´s been over two years in the studio polishing off the songs until they get their end product.
That´s precisely what makes this band eager to perform live and to see if the new songs are a hit amongst the crowd, and that´s one of the reasons why you wouldn´t want to miss the concert if you rent apartments in Barcelona around those dates.
Translated by: aleixgwilliam
