Meet Ed, Edd and Jack, the three boisterous Brits behind Friendly Fires. Along with a host of screenprint-ready photo shoots (read: posing on a blank wall with Sharpied-on headphones) and triangle-patterned tote bags (note: the red triangle respresents fire), the band boasts a catalog of ‘mdash; 13 tracks. Total. Well, if they’re good enough for Coachella’hellip;
Hailing from St. Albans, Hertfordshire, the boys’ self-titled debut peaked at No. 38 on the UK Albums Chart. Ultra-danceable, slippery synths and rapid, street-funk sampling soon caught the attention of the television conglomerate: The campy, hip-thrusting ‘White Diamonds’ landed a spot on an episode of sex-fest ‘Gossip Girl,’ while the treadmill-ready beats of ‘On Board’ sweated through a Wii Fit commercial.
It’s all perfectly profitable, but that’s the issue: Longevity isn’t an option when, after three plays, an album is only fit for Guantanamo torture tapes.
But on first listen ‘mdash; and possibly in a concert with a hundred sweaty bodies writhing around you ‘mdash; their epic MGMT escalades are bloody amazing.
At least four of Friendly Fires’ 10 tracks fit right in on the American Apparel dance floor. ‘Jump in the Pool,’ for instance, attacks visceral sensations like (the ever-popular) Ecstasy. Imagine bongo drums pounded at 90 mph, exploding dreamboat synths and a sexy British man telling you over and over to jump in the pool. Pretty righteous.
Then there’s ‘Paris,’ whose relentless breakbeats and lead singer Ed McFarlane’s starry-eyed promises ‘mdash; ‘Every night, the city lights/ Will be out for us’ ‘mdash; will make you want to drop all your classes and buy a plane ticket with next quarter’s tuition funds.
Besides, Friendly Fires have been practicing. To complement their ultra-produced studio gems, the band’s live persona garnered enough attention for a spot on the 2009 NME tour with Glasvegas, and a slot at the Indio mega-concert with the Cure.
In a UGO interview, lead singer McFarlane said that when they first assembled 10 years ago, they ‘played like shit’ at a birthday party and were eventually shut down in favor of ‘DJ Spunky.’ Guitarist Jack Savidge didn’t even know how to play the guitar. Fortunately, Friendly Fires learned a couple chords, transforming from ultimate suckage to sampling suckers. And really, what does your Wednesday night look like without them?
Friendly Fires will perform live at the Loft on April 15 at 7:30 p.m.