User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info

What Went Down
by
What Went Down Image
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 106 Ratings

  • Summary: The fourth full-length release for the British indie rock band was recorded in France with producer James Ford.
Buy Now
Buy on

Top Track

Mountain at My Gates
I see a mountain at my gates I see it more and more each day And what I give it takes away Will I go or will I stay I see a mountain at my gates I... See the rest of the song lyrics
See Full Track List »
Powered by

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. DIY Magazine
    Aug 28, 2015
    100
    There’s a constant feeling that instead of edging towards going one bigger, this band have embraced their calling. And if Foals didn’t already have enough songs in their arsenal to top festival bills, they’ve just added ten more.
  2. musicOMH.com
    Aug 24, 2015
    90
    With only the intriguingly named Snake Oil providing somewhat of an average, doomy, Kasabian type entry in an otherwise exemplary set of songs, Foals have produced yet another outstanding must-have album.
  3. Mojo
    Aug 24, 2015
    80
    Foals consolidate their position here by continuing to do what they do best, namely expressing big emotions loudly through fizzing rock anger or unbridled, danceable joy.
  4. Q Magazine
    Aug 25, 2015
    80
    At 10 tracks, it's a concise and perfectly paced record, veering between subtlety and stampede. [Oct 2015, p.100]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. The 405
    Sep 2, 2015
    80
    There's always a sense of worry that once a band loses its chaotic edge, its youthful exuberance, it takes a step back, but this isn't quite the case with Foals on What Went Down.
  6. Clash Music
    Aug 24, 2015
    70
    Unlike their first three albums, What Went Down arrives without any obvious standout singles and is a far cry from Foals' early energetic indie sound. On the other hand, it's impossible to deny that the overall album is a hugely accomplished effort from one of Britain's best surviving bands.
  7. PopMatters
    Sep 11, 2015
    50
    Barring a couple solid songs that fit their catalog fairly nicely, What Went Down offers nothing that their previous albums don’t deliver in a much more satisfying and ample way.

See all 23 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Dang13
    Aug 28, 2015
    10
    Best tracks: Birch tree, Give it all, Lonely Hunter, Knife in the Ocean

    A great album that fixes the small mistakes made in Holy Fire and    Best tracks: Birch tree, Give it all, Lonely Hunter, Knife in the Ocean

    A great album that fixes the small mistakes made in Holy Fire and keeps the brilliant sounds of their still best album "Total Life Forever". What Went Down has a unique sound and stands for itself as probably the best album of the year.    … Expand
  2. PabloBautista10
    Aug 28, 2015
    10
    Creativity is a process were many elements converge.
    Experiences can be lived in a short time or in a life time and FOALS is a band    Creativity is a process were many elements converge.
    Experiences can be lived in a short time or in a life time and FOALS is a band conformed by different type of guys with many passages of life to tell, their abilities and brains inevitably lead us to musical valhalla

    "What Went Down" is a beautiful peace of art dance/rock/punk were the line started in "Antidotes" seems to be in its biggest maturity.    … Expand
  4. jzakaryan
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    I have been following FOALS since "Antidotes". I'm very satisfied with the overall direction with which they're evolving their music - fromI have been following FOALS since "Antidotes". I'm very satisfied with the overall direction with which they're evolving their music - from 'silly' lightweight math rock songs to the deep and emotional tracks they produce nowadays. But, what's more important, they never lowered the bar, and each release is more complex and layered than the previous.
    "What Went Down" is a pure ode to inspiration and creative vision. From condensed emotions of the first track to upbeat and cheerful tunes in the middle, to the bold conclusion in the form of "Knife in the Ocean".    … Expand
  5. Szen
    Aug 31, 2015
    9
    "What Went Down" is a record full of emotion and pure inspiration. It's electrifying moments, like the song "What Went Down", can hit you like"What Went Down" is a record full of emotion and pure inspiration. It's electrifying moments, like the song "What Went Down", can hit you like a thunder, while the record shows it's emotional colors, in songs like the captivating "London Thunder".… Expand
  6. Koushyar
    Oct 12, 2015
    9
    I wasn't a Foals fan before listening to this album. I have listened to the album more than 10 times and I can't get enough of it. Don'tI wasn't a Foals fan before listening to this album. I have listened to the album more than 10 times and I can't get enough of it. Don't single out any track and listen to the album from the beginning to the end. It made me go back and listen to their previous albums as well, which was great! Now I have found a new favorite band… Expand
  7. dolevinio
    Sep 28, 2015
    9
    Great album,foals may have changed their sound but they are still as good as ever,might not fit for everyone but its great,it has perfectGreat album,foals may have changed their sound but they are still as good as ever,might not fit for everyone but its great,it has perfect balance,some songs are more deep and some are energetic,i recommend this album to everyone.… Expand
  8. pdesaab07
    Sep 2, 2015
    8
    I really was hoping that Foals would make a bold move like Radiohead did with Kid A. No one understood Kid A when it was released and todayI really was hoping that Foals would make a bold move like Radiohead did with Kid A. No one understood Kid A when it was released and today the same people consider it one the band's best album.

    That being said.... this is still a huge effort from Foals... proving to my friends what I have been saying since I heard Spanish Sahara for the first time (I didn't know the first album at the time): there will be one the of biggest bands of our time; "What went down" is another proof of it.    … Expand

See all 14 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Most Discussed Album of 2015
77
#77 Most Shared Album of 2015

Current Music Releases

Full List »
99 Band on the Run [50th Anniversary Edition] - Paul McCartney & Wings
95 The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow - Charles Lloyd
92 This Could Be Texas - English Teacher
92 COWBOY CARTER - Beyoncé
91 The Carnegie Hall Concert - Alice Coltrane
90 1989 (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
90 Iechyd Da - Bill Ryder-Jones
89 I Got Heaven - Mannequin Pussy
89 Black Bayou - Robert Finley
89 Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee
89 Only God Was Above Us - Vampire Weekend
88 Ozarker - Israel Nash
88 What Now - Brittany Howard
88 Hey Panda - The High Llamas
88 Orquídeas - Kali Uchis
88 The Past Is Still Alive - Hurray for the Riff Raff
87 Filthy Underneath - Nadine Shah
87 i/o - Peter Gabriel
87 Lahai - Sampha
87 Blue Lips - ScHoolboy Q
All Current Music »