Where has the buzz for this band gone?! They were massive with their last album but I haven't heard a smidgen of interest from ANYWHERE regarding this.

 

Indeed. I remember thinking with the Mercury nomination and moderate success with Kiss of Life that their next album would be potentially quite big. Oh well, it's rubbish anyway.

I do like the first album a lot, but this one just seems to be working for me so much more. Live Those Days Tonight is proper amazing.

I absolutely love Friendly Fires, but there was something about their debut that I could never love, somehow ('White Diamonds' aside, which is just astonishing). But Pala is something else. The ethereal summer sound is exactly what I love about them, they've progressed in the exact direction I'd have chosen. 'Show Me Lights' and 'Hurting' are just brilliant, and 'Pala' just makes me want to sex the nearest human being.

 

I do like 'Live Those Days Tonight' but 'Hawaiian Air' works much better as a single for me. Booked for their tour later this year, I went to the last one and Ed is one of the best front-men around today.

I love the album too, after initial disappointment from "Live Those Days Tonight" (which has kinda grown on me a bit recently).

The debut still remains one of my favourite debuts of the 2000s though, and the 3 amazing singles "Jump In The Pool", "Paris" and "Skeleton Boy" was an brilliant start to their career. Initial favourites are "Blue Cassette", "Hurting" (cheesy 1980s!), "Show Me Lights" and "Pull Me Back To Earth".

 

And I'm going to see them in November, yay. :D

Saw them on Graeme Norton last week and Hawaiian Air is a way better single than Live Those Days Tonight. Really liking it.

'Hawaiian Air' was my immediate highlight from the album, I love it.

No one has mentioned 'Running Away' and 'True Love'?

Stand outs for me.

 

Not really getting the whole neck thing..

LOLOL!

 

This is still one of my favourite albums of the year. Still a bit gutted Live Those Days tonight never got a video though. Hope Chimes does as a consolation.

Recently really got into this album - Hurting is superb (and I do love the video). Blue Cassette is being released pretty soon as well now.