Pala is the second studio album from St Albans natives Friendly Fires and is to be released in the UK on the 16th May and 24th May in the US. According to lead singer Ed Macfarlane, Pala is heavily influenced by 1980s and 1990s chart music like ‘N Sync, Missy Elliott and Bobby Brown (8ball, 2011). He’s happy to alienate himself from the rest of the indie genre; a bold move from these lads considering most indie bands would never associate their music to “mainstream” and chart-topping artists.

The new album contains eleven tracks ranging from upbeat and clever tunes (think their debut album) such as ‘Live Those Days Tonight’ and ‘Hawaiian Air’ to downbeat but intimate tracks such as ‘Pala’ and ‘Helpless’. After listening to the album several times over the past couple of days, I can hear what Ed talked about. The Bobby Brown influence is very obvious on the second half of the album.

I would describe Pala as an album that you would play after a night of partying in town and you want to keep going with your friends. One track in particular, ‘Running Away,’ has those buzzy sounds with a hint of relaxation. In terms of lyrical composition, the writing has progressed and reveals a depth of experience since their debut album back in 2008. Stand out tracks are ‘Blue Cassette’ and ‘Hawaiian Air’ with ‘Chimes’ as a grower.

The only negative aspect I found is there are no songs similar to ‘Kiss of Life’. A daft excuse but as the stand-out song on their debut, it is a hard song to beat, but it would have been nice to try. Overall, Pala is a pleasing offer from the lads. XL Recordings continues to amaze with their new releases this year (I’m still buzzing over Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx’s remix album, We’re New Here).

If you live in Australia, Friendly Fires are part of the Splendour in the Grass line-up that will take place in Woodford, QLD (29 – 31 July).