As much as it has become a cliche, some bands do suffer the second album syndrome and struggle to find a way back from it. The Futureheads certainly wandered off the track with their News And Tributes album and have taken two years to pluck up the courage to attempt a comeback.
That gap between albums appears to have benefited the Sunderland four-piece as this new offering is crisp in production and rousing in delivery. Their sound is one that borrows heavily from post-punk and indie rock with a rapid fire tempo cascading through the forty minutes of duration. Everything feels a bit more loose and almost carefree at times, which could be attributed to this album being released on an independent label. The band were dropped from 679 Recordings after their last album failed to meet the label’s estimated sales, but that has propelled them into creating their finest work yet.
It would be easy to throw in comparisons to Editors, The Cribs, and even The Clash, yet the band have established their own sound. Tracks like Hard To Bear and Work Is Never Done have that Futureheads seal that becomes instantly familiar after just one listen. Led by crunching guitar riffs and pin sharp drumming, their blend of rock is one that continually excites and intrigues the listener.
Many of the songs are fuelled by a bravado that proudly struts forward and bears all with opening track The Beginning Of The Twist kickstarting the riot that the band are at the centre of. There is a massive build-up to each song with steady beats luring the listener in before it all explodes with driving rhythms and growling vocals. A sinister element trickles along the backbone of it all, but things never feel too overloaded or congested.
There are moments too when they prove that they can produce a stomping anthem that British Sea Power would be proud of. The social commentary of Radio Heart showcases this with a punchy chorus mixing it with the snaking basslines to produce a foot stomping track.
