Friendly Fires Pala

Aldous Huxley's final novel, Island, told the story of a journalist shipwrecked on a fictional island called Pala, where the man runs into what is essentially a utopian society. Also during his time there, he encounters parrots that whisper words of encouragement to him and others. Apparently those birds are the inspiration behind Friendly Fires naming their sophomore album Pala. Frontman Ed MacFarlane, who wrote most of the album in a remote cottage in France, told 6Music that the message on the dance punk-y album is “about enjoying the here and now.” This is a change of pace from the band's self-titled 2008 debut, which boasted more somber messages in its lyrics.

Abstract by Andrew Martin