What Went Down

Last updated

What Went Down
What went down cover.jpg
Studio album by
Foals
Released28 August 2015
Recorded2014–2015
StudioLa Fabrique
(Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France)
Genre Indie rock, alternative rock, hard rock
Length48:21
Label
Producer James Ford
Foals chronology
Holy Fire
(2013)		What Went Down
(2015)		 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1
(2019)
Singles from What Went Down
  1. "What Went Down"
    Released: 16 June 2015
  2. "Mountain at My Gates"
    Released: 21 July 2015
  3. "Give It All"
    Released: 25 December 2015
  4. "Birch Tree"
    Released: 15 January 2016

What Went Down is the fourth studio album by British rock band Foals, released on 28 August 2015 via Transgressive Records in the United Kingdom. [1] The album is produced by James Ford, known for his work with Simian Mobile Disco, The Last Shadow Puppets and Arctic Monkeys amongst others. Frontman Yannis Philippakis called it their loudest and heaviest record to date. [2] What Went Down debuted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 58 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest charting album in the United States to date.

Contents

Promotion and release

On 9 June 2015, a 12-second clip teaser of the band performing aggressively in an empty warehouse entitled "FOALS // 2015" was released through their social media. [3] Two days later, it was announced that What Went Down was to be released 28 August 2015 via Transgressive Records with a slightly longer trailer in lieu. [4]

On 16 June, the album's self-titled debut single was debuted on DJ Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show, [5] along with the premiere of the music video (directed by Niall O'Brien) via YouTube. [6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.2/10 [7]
Metacritic 77/100 [8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Entertainment Weekly A− [11]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
NME 7/10 [14]
Pitchfork 6.7/10 [15]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Uncut 8/10 [18]

What Went Down received largely positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [8]

Mark Beaumont of NME praised the album, saying, "For ‘What Went Down’, written in their Oxford “stinkbox”, they have found their fulcrum. Riffs. Massive, fucking heavy cavern rock riffs, the size of cathedrals and the weight of God's balls. They slammed into your eardrums like wrecking balls the first time you heard the compulsive title-track, aghast that these desert rock goliaths could be the same band that sounded like frivolous disco pixies just two years ago. Opening their fourth album, Yannis roaring “When I see a man I see a lion!” over its Stooges-meets-Queens fuzz throttle, it sounds like a defining statement, an arrival. They've mastered math rock, destroyed disco and flattened funk, now they measure hard rock in their hands like a medicine ball, and find it a comfortable weight." [14]

Ian Cohen of Pitchfork gave the album a generally positive review noting that, "What Went Down is the latest example of Foals’ uncanny ability to make records whose basic musical trajectory and quality are nearly equal regardless of the band's intentions going in. And What Went Down is their most consistent, steady-handed work yet—the distance between their purest pop moments ("Miami", "My Number") and their opulent ballads ("Spanish Sahara") has virtually disappeared. It's also significantly less exciting than Total Life Forever and Holy Fire, dynamic records because of their unevenness and ambitious strain—while Foals have realized a sound that's truly their own, they sound far too comfortable in it." [15]

Accolades

PublicationAccoladeYearRank
NME NME's Albums of the Year 20152015
8 [19]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."What Went Down"5:00
2."Mountain at My Gates"4:02
3."Birch Tree"4:21
4."Give It All"4:47
5."Albatross"5:23
6."Snake Oil"4:21
7."Night Swimmers"4:44
8."London Thunder"4:14
9."Lonely Hunter"4:37
10."A Knife in the Ocean"6:52
Total length:48:21
Digital deluxe edition
No.TitleLength
11."What Went Down" (official video)5:41
12."Mountain at My Gates" (official video)4:01
13."Birch Tree" (lyric video)4:22
14."Give It All" (Poolside Session)5:41
15."Albatross" (CCTV Session)6:06
16."Snake Oil" (CCTV Session)5:02
17."Night Swimmers" (lyric video)4:43
18."London Thunder" (Poolside Session)4:49
19."Lonely Hunter" (CCTV Session)5:28
20."A Knife in the Ocean" (lyric video)6:54
21."Crème anglaise" (Making of What Went Down) (iTunes exclusive)27:58
Deluxe edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Crème anglaise" (Making of What Went Down)27:59
2."What Went Down" (official video)5:48
3."Give It All" (Poolside Session)5:40
4."London Thunder" (Poolside Session)4:47

Personnel

Foals

Technical personnel

DVD personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for What Went Down
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [38] Gold100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Black Market Music</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Placebo

Black Market Music is the third studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. The album took nine months to record, from late-1999 to mid-2000; the longest that the band had ever spent recording an album until 2022's Never Let Me Go. It was released on 9 October 2000 by record label Hut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foals (band)</span> British indie rock band

Foals are a British rock band formed in Oxford in 2005. The band's current line-up consists of Greek-born lead vocalist and guitarist Yannis Philippakis, drummer and percussionist Jack Bevan, rhythm guitarist Jimmy Smith and bassist Walter Gervers. They are currently signed to Warner Records, and have released seven studio albums to date: Antidotes (2008), Total Life Forever (2010), Holy Fire (2013), What Went Down (2015), Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 and Part 2 (2019) and their most recent, Life Is Yours (2022). They have also released one video album, six extended plays and thirty-five singles.

<i>Antidotes</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Foals

Antidotes is the debut studio album by British indie rock band Foals. It was released on 24 March 2008 in the United Kingdom on Transgressive Records, and on 8 April 2008 in the United States through Sub Pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yannis Philippakis</span> Greek-born musician (born 1986)

Yannis Barnabas Emanuel Philippakis is a Greek-born British singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is a founding member and the lead vocalist of the British indie rock band Foals, with whom he has released seven studio albums since their founding in 2005.

<i>Temporary Pleasure</i> 2009 studio album by Simian Mobile Disco

Temporary Pleasure is the second album by Simian Mobile Disco. It was released in the United Kingdom on 17 August 2009. It was available in LP, CD and deluxe limited edition CD formats.

<i>Total Life Forever</i> 2010 studio album by Foals

Total Life Forever is the second studio album by British indie rock band Foals, released on 10 May 2010 through Transgressive Records. Prior to the album's release, the band described it as sounding "like the dream of an eagle dying". It was produced by Luke Smith, and was recorded at Svenska Grammofon Studion in Gothenburg. Upon its release, the album charted in numerous countries worldwide, including number eight in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Audio, Video, Disco</i> 2011 studio album by Justice

Audio, Video, Disco is the second studio album by the French electronic music duo Justice, released on 24 October 2011 by Ed Banger Records and Because Music in France, and Elektra Records in the US.

<i>Holy Fire</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Foals

Holy Fire is the third studio album by British rock band Foals, released on 11 February 2013 in the United Kingdom on Transgressive Records. The first single "Inhaler" first aired on 5 November 2012 on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show, with the music video being released later that same day. The second single "My Number" debuted on Later... with Jools Holland on 13 November 2012. The track had its radio debut one month later, also on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show. The music video premiered on 23 January 2013.

<i>After the Disco</i> 2014 studio album by Broken Bells

After the Disco is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Broken Bells. Recorded with the seventeen-piece Angel City String Orchestra and a four-piece choir, the album was released by Columbia Records on January 31, 2014. The album follows the band's 2013 single, "Holding On for Life", which features as the third track on the album. After the Disco was written by band members James Mercer and Brian Burton, and produced by Burton.

<i>El Pintor</i> 2014 studio album by Interpol

El Pintor is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Interpol. It was released through Matador Records and Soft Limit on September 8, 2014, internationally, and on September 9, 2014, in North America. El Pintor is the band's first album without bassist Carlos Dengler, who departed Interpol after the release of the band's eponymous album in 2010.

<i>Sound & Color</i> 2015 studio album by Alabama Shakes

Sound & Color is the second and final studio album by American band Alabama Shakes. It was released on April 17, 2015 via ATO Records.

<i>Everything Now</i> 2017 studio album by Arcade Fire

Everything Now is the fifth studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on July 28, 2017, through Sonovox Records, Columbia Records and Rough Trade Records. It was produced by Arcade Fire, alongside Thomas Bangalter of the electronic-house duo Daft Punk and Steve Mackey, the bassist of the band Pulp. Additionally, Markus Dravs, one of Arcade Fire's frequent collaborators, co-produced two tracks, and he, Geoff Barrow of Portishead, and Eric Heigle each provided additional production on one track.

<i>Pray for the Wicked</i> 2018 studio album by Panic! at the Disco

Pray for the Wicked is the sixth studio album by American pop rock solo project Panic! at the Disco. The album was released on June 22, 2018 on Fueled by Ramen in the United States. It is the follow-up to the band's fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor (2016). The album was produced by Jake Sinclair and promoted by the singles "Say Amen ", "High Hopes" and "Hey Look Ma, I Made It", with "(Fuck A) Silver Lining", "Dancing's Not a Crime" and "King of the Clouds" as promotional singles. It received generally positive reviews upon release, with many critics noting Urie's Broadway influences following his performance in Kinky Boots.

<i>Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1</i> 2019 studio album by Foals

Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 is the fifth studio album by British rock band Foals. It was released on 8 March 2019 through Warner Bros. and Transgressive Records. The album is considered the first half of a two-piece project, being supplemented by their consecutive sixth studio album Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2, later released on 18 October 2019. This is their first album not to feature founding member and bassist Walter Gervers, as it was during the period of his amicable hiatus in 2018.

<i>Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2</i> 2019 studio album by Foals

Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2 is the sixth studio album by British rock band Foals. It was released on 18 October 2019 through Warner and Transgressive Records. The album is considered the second half of a two-part project, being supplemented by their consecutive fifth studio album Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1, released 8 March 2019. The album cover was shot by famed National Geographic photographer, Maggie Steber. The album was preceded by three singles; "Black Bull", "The Runner", and "Into the Surf". The album became the band's first to reach No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was the last to feature keyboardist Edwin Congreave before his departure from the band in 2021.

"On the Luna" is the second single by British indie rock band Foals from their fifth studio album, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1. The song and music video were released on 14 February 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunday (Foals song)</span> Single by English indie rock band Foals

"Sunday" is the third single by British indie rock band Foals from their fifth studio album, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1. The song was released on 25 February 2019.

"Black Bull" is the lead single by British indie rock band, Foals, off their sixth studio album, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2. The single and music video were released on 1 August 2019, with the track peaking at number 9 on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart after initially debuting at number 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Me Up (Foals song)</span> 2021 single by Foals

"Wake Me Up" is a song by British rock band Foals. It was released as the lead single from their seventh studio album, Life Is Yours, on 4 November 2021.

<i>Life Is Yours</i> 2022 studio album by Foals

Life Is Yours is the seventh studio album by British rock band Foals, released on 17 June 2022 via Warner/Transgressive/ADA. The album was preceded by five singles; "Wake Me Up", "2am", "Looking High", "2001" and "Crest of the Wave".

References

  1. ↑ Kimberley-Marie Sklinar Green. "Foals share new material: all 12 seconds of it". Never Enough Notes. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Foals Interview: Yannis Philippakis On Their Most Volatile, Intense Album Yet". NME.
  3. ↑ FOALS // 2015. YouTube. 9 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Foals". Pitchfork. 11 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Foals". Pitchfork. 16 June 2015.
  6. ↑ FOALS - What Went Down [Official Music Video]. 16 June 2015 – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ "What Went Down by Foals reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Reviews for What Went Down by Foals". Metacritic . Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Donelson, Marcy. "What Went Down – Foals". AllMusic . Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  10. ↑ McCormick, Neil (25 August 2015). "Foals, What Went Down, review: 'brutally imposing'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Kyle (28 August 2015). "What Went Down". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  12. ↑ Mokoena, Tshepo (27 August 2015). "Foals: What Went Down review – bulked-up indie with a hypermasculine snarl". The Guardian . Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  13. ↑ Doyle, Tom (24 August 2015). "Foals – What Went Down". Mojo . Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  14. 1 2 Beaumont, Mark (25 August 2015). "Foals – 'What Went Down'". NME . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  15. 1 2 Cohen, Ian (2 September 2015). "Foals: What Went Down". Pitchfork . Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  16. ↑ "Foals: What Went Down". Q (351): 100. October 2015.
  17. ↑ Dolan, Jon (28 August 2015). "What Went Down". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  18. ↑ Snapes, Laura (October 2015). "Foals: What Went Down". Uncut (221): 75.
  19. ↑ "NME'S Albums of the Year 2015". NME. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  20. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Foals – What Went Down". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  21. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Foals – What Went Down" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  22. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Foals – What Went Down" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  23. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Foals – What Went Down" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  24. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Foals – What Went Down" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  25. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Foals – What Went Down". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  26. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Foals – What Went Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  27. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 38. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  28. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 36, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  29. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Foals – What Went Down". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  30. ↑ ホワット・ウェント・ダウン(初回限定盤) - フォールズ (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  31. ↑ "Charts.nz – Foals – What Went Down". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  32. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Foals – What Went Down". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  33. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Foals – What Went Down". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  34. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Foals – What Went Down". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  35. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  36. ↑ "Foals Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  37. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2015". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  38. ↑ "British album certifications – Foals – What Went Down". British Phonographic Industry.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.