Pala (album)

Last updated

Pala
FriendlyFiresPala.jpg
Studio album by
Released16 May 2011
Genre
Length44:00
Label XL
Producer
Friendly Fires chronology
Friendly Fires
(2008)
Pala
(2011)
Inflorescent
(2019)
Singles from Pala
  1. "Live Those Days Tonight"
    Released: 23 March 2011
  2. "Hawaiian Air"
    Released: 25 July 2011 [2]
  3. "Blue Cassette"
    Released: 5 December 2011
  4. "Hurting"
    Released: 27 February 2012

Pala is the second album from British alternative dance band Friendly Fires. It was released in the UK on 16 May 2011, and charted at number 6 on the UK Albums Chart. [3] The album name comes from Aldous Huxley's final novel Island , which tells the story of a journalist shipwrecked on the fictional island of Pala, which supports a utopian society. [4] [5] [6] The scarlet macaw photograph was chosen from the private collection of Norwegian fashion photographer Sølve Sundsbø. [4]

Contents

Singles

Track listing

Taken from the album booklet:

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Live Those Days Tonight"
5:02
2."Blue Cassette"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
  • Macfarlane
  • Epworth*
3:32
3."Running Away"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
3:02
4."Hawaiian Air"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
Macfarlane4:12
5."Hurting"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
  • Macfarlane
  • Epworth*
  • Zane*
5:03
6."Pala"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
  • Macfarlane
  • Zane*
4:01
7."Show Me Lights"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
  • Epworth
  • Friendly Fires
3:36
8."True Love"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
  • Macfarlane
  • Zane*
3:15
9."Pull Me Back to Earth"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
Macfarlane3:30
10."Chimes"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
  • Epworth
  • Friendly Fires
4:37
11."Helpless"
  • Gibson
  • Macfarlane
  • Savidge
Macfarlane4:30
iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Strangelove" Martin Gore 4:38
Amazon bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Stay Here (with Azari & III)"4:38
US bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Hurting" (Tensnake Remix)4:49
13."Blue Cassette" (Tiga Remix)5:26
14."Hawaiian Air" (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)5:31
15."Hurting" (Benoit & Sergio Remix)7:13
16."Live Those Days Tonight" (Tim Green Main Mix)8:50
Japan bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Strangelove" Martin Gore 4:38
13."Hold On" 5:06
14."Stay Here" 5:55
Japan tour limited edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Live Those Days Tonight" (Live in LA) 4:51
2."Hawaiian Air" (Live in LA) 4:26
3."Skeleton Boy" (Live in LA) 3:51
4."Jump in the Pool" (Live in LA) 3:55
5."Paris" (Live in LA) 4:02
6."Kiss of Life" (Live in LA) 7:34
7."The Edge of Glory" (Live at Maida Vale Studios) Lady Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Paul Blair3:16
8."Live Those Days Tonight" (Lone Remix) 6:28
9."Hawaiian Air" (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix) 5:32
10."Hurting" (Benoit & Sergio Remix) 7:16
11."Blue Cassette" (Tiga Remix) 5:27

(*) additional production

Notes

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 73/100 [11]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
BBC (very favourable) [13]
Clash Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Drowned in Sound (8/10) [15]
Evening Standard Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Metro Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
MusicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [20]
NME 8/10 [21]
Pitchfork Media 7.4/10 [22]
TMRStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [24]

The album received a score of 73 on Metacritic (based on 22 reviews), indicating "generally favorable reviews". [11]

Chart positions

Pala debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 6 on 22 May 2011, that week's second highest debut after Kate Bush's Director's Cut . It also debuted at number 2 on the albums download chart, and number 3 on the UK Indie Chart.

Weekly charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [25] 19
Irish Albums (IRMA) [26] 29
Scottish Albums (OCC) [27] 6
UK Albums (OCC) [28] 6
US Billboard 200 [29] 152
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [30] 36

Year-end charts

Chart (2011)Position
UK Albums (OCC) [31] 174

As of January 2012 UK sales stand at 90,000 copies according to The Guardian. [32]

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References

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