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Friendly Fires: Heaven, London

Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 May 2011

DESPITE A GOLD DEBUT album and Brit and Mercury nominations, Friendly Fires are still a long way from household-name status — something the St Albans trio intend to rectify. Singer Ed Macfarlane recently claimed his band are "the new big headline dance act", the natural successors to the Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk. Unlikely as it sounds, he could be right. Though they cannot compete in terms of splashy visuals — those acts have dazzling graphics and crazed costumery, where Friendly Fires have a strobe light and confetti —they've got one thing nailed: their tunes say "party" in a way this summer's festival crowds will find hard to resist.

Total word count of piece: 296

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