Friend and Foe is somewhat of a marathon for the listener- It’s easy to pelt through the first few tracks, Muscle N’ Flo, The Pelican, and Wet And Rusting, and think that “this is all a bit easier than
I thought”. However, with a little pacing,the album’s subtleties begin to reveal themselves. The sinister saxophone and strange mewing in the background (I’m pretty sure they’re using kittens instead of plectrums) on “Weird” add to song texture rather than reaching a climax, or providing hooks, a recurring feature of Friend And Foe. “Running” is an interesting sideshow- a two minute long stop-start affair accompanied by strange-voiced reassurances that “we’ll make it before the cows come home”. A paean to advice rejected in the past, “My My” has music to match the reminiscent and reflective feel of the lyrical content, is the album’s second-half highlight. This album is arduous and fun in equal measures. For example, see their “La Blogotheque” performance of “Wet And Rusting. “Post-Rock” done properly.

Daniel Gray From the moment he put the first Steps album into his stereo he knew he'd found his calling.
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