The Futureheads
Sunderland, England
Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, The Clash
The frenetic beats coming out of England’s The Futureheads push through the murk of even the thickest London fog in an exhilarating whirlwind of Brit pop. Perfecting their sound over the course of a decade, the group’s latest album may be their most accomplished yet.
Has it really been six years since The Futureheads released their debut self-titled album? Man, I remember driving around in college blasting their infectiously simple and straight-for-the-throat brand of indie rock from the car speakers. Ever since that debut, this quartet from across the pond have been steadily whipping out hits like they were hot cakes. Composed of frontman Barry Hyde, drummer (and brother) David Hyde, guitarist Ross Millard and bassist David Craig, the band actually formed in 2000 and survived on a diet of free practice spaces and positive word of mouth before their breakthrough success in 2004.
After their 2005 sophomore release, News And Tributes, The Futureheads founded their own label, Nul Records, and broke free of the constraints they were up against before. This Is Not The World, released in 2008, saw the group edging closer to the punk rock and new wave sounds they grew up with. A mainstay of the British music scene and European festivals alike, it seems The Futureheads don’t quite get the recognition in the U.S. that they do at home.
No matter, with the darkly angular songs that make up The Futureheads’ latest album, Chaos, the band makes a sure fire return without ever missing a beat. Each track is a mini mine field of sharp, plaintive indie rock; from the pop punk graces of ‘Heartbeat Song’ to the stop-start synergy of “Struck Dumb.’ In the six years between their debut and today, the Futureheads have not lost a single ounce of energy, and they don’t seem likely to any time soon.
I love The Futureheads and this song is just great!