Friendly Fires singer Ed Macfarlane believes their forthcoming new album will be ‘what 2011 needs’, and has compared the sound to that of mainstream boybands such as NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.
“It stands out from a lot of records,” Macfarlane told BBC Newsbeat. “It’s what 2011 needs. It needs bright, uplifting, vibrant music. I felt in 2010 music was very black and white and the music was quite minimalist. Summer’s coming and people need to hear something uplifting.”
McFarlane described their new material as ‘NSYNC or Backstreet Boys but played with a breathless beat and weird guitar’, and added that the three-piece were initially unsure as to whether the tracks might have ventured too far into the world of pop.
“There were moments when we were recording where we were debating if it was sounding too poppy,” he said. “As things progressed I think that’s what I like most about this record. It sounds overtly sheeny and poppy to my ears. It’s really unashamed.”
The new album, entitled ‘Pala‘, will be released on May 16th.