Life Is Yours sees Foals depart from the heavy Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost albums of 2019, swapping out their guitar-driven structures for a lighter, electronica-driven sound. Most of the set’s material can be described as buoyant, sparkly, and taught. Foals’ vocals are as echoey as ever, but the accompaniment is crisper and cleaner. Glistening synth sounds dominate the palette, and if they are present, the guitar additions are rhythmic and bright.
The band has waded in these waters on some of their earlier albums, but tracks on Life Is Yours are just a bit funkier and a lot dancier. Most songs feel lighthearted in tone, and the combinations of infectious beats and chirpy instrumental interjections draw the focus away from any lyrical gems. There aren’t any to be found, and that’s just fine. Foals rehydrates the ‘80s sound, borrowing bits from Genesis and the Talking Heads, without blatantly plagiarizing, and on “2001” they even manage to give a brief nod to the waning days of disco.
Songs like “Life Is Yours,” “Wake Me Up,” and “Looking High” sound stellar and can work independent of the group. However, Life Is Yours drags on the weaker back half where a few cuts start to blend together, taking away from an otherwise highly energetic album. Far from perfect, it’s still a great warm weather collection.