The Futureheads

Futureheads

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 26, 2004)
• Original Release Date: September 7, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sire / London/Rhino
• ASIN: B00049QKDI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,584 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Like compatriots Franz Ferdinand , the Futureheads play a dazzling power pop that’s impossible to sit still to. This British quartet’s rambunctious long-playing debut showcases choice art school tastes ca. 2004: Their sound’s strongly influenced by the herky-jerky pop of early XTC, the album was produced by the Gang of Four’s Andy Gill, one of the songs is called "Man Ray" (dada and surrealism are perennial hits with undergrads), while one of the best tunes is a well-placed cover of Kate Bush’s "Hounds of Love." These retro ingredients would result in trendy mush in most hands, but the ’heads’ songs are strange, melodic and almost as original as the artists they brazenly borrow from. With intricately woven vocal harmonies that almost recall jubilee-era gospel (really), excellently sparse production, and a sproing-oing guitar sound that’s to die for, the Futureheads’ snappy songs are not likely to go stale as quickly as your electroclash favorites did. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I-have-no-mind, March 17, 2005

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In the music scene today, there may be no band that sounds like it's having more fun than the Futureheads. Their bouncy dancepunk tunes are catchy, gritty-edged, danceable -- and above all, the guys sound like they're having a absolutely glorious time.

A pal of mine went to a Futureheads concert and confided that the crowd didn't move at all. That's hard to imagine -- after a mild buildup of vocal harmonies and guitar riffs, the catchiness kicks in with the rapid-fire percussion. "And I won't say what if it's true/Le garage (le garage-RAGE!)" the guys shout in the opener.

Things don't die down after that, from the Devo-esque "Robot" to the heavy-guitar, dadaesque "Man Ray." Not that everything is all the same -- the Futureheads are one of the few rock bands who don't rely on the same riffs and beats to achieve catchiness. They manage different kinds of catchiness -- herky-jerky, relentless, fragmented and poppy.

The only exception is "Danger of the Water," a song that is almost a capella, with Barry Hynde solemnly singing, as his bandmates chant "do do, do do" in the background. Okay, there's a tiny keyboard melody, but it's almost indiscernable -- and it's surprisingly entrancing when the song builds up to a tense climax ("Danger... water/Danger... water!"), followed by a yell from Hynde. Only imagine what happens next.

Despite comparisons to Franz Ferdinand, the Futureheads smack more of Devo-and-XTX-meets-the-Ramones. The jangly guitars, solid drums and bass are all wonderfully assured, but the vocal harmonies are the really good stuff. Hynde does most of the singing, but the other guys weave in and out without a single sonic burp.

Sure, it's not perfect. But the energy and fun of the Futureheads' debut can't be denied. A solid, fun, catchy dancepunk album.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Punk, November 21, 2004

By	WrtnWrd "Hankman" (Northridge, CA USA) - See all my reviews

The thrill of a formalist genre like punk is how malleable it can be. Since the 70's, each generation has offered up its share of inspirational artists: Sex Pistols, Ramones, Buzzcocks, The Clash, Gang of 4, Fugazi, Nirvana, Green Day. The new millennium gives us The Futureheads, a U.K. quartet whose powerful debut adds call-and-response harmonies to the buzzsaw thrash of prime hardcore. Since they aren't borne of the dole, The Futureheads offer more observational tales than rallies against the miserable state of the world. There's even a subtle optimism to tracks like "Decent Days and Night", "The City Is Here for You to Use", and "A to B". Best of all is their inspired remake of Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love", where her florid romanticism is kept in check by vocalist/guitarist Barry Hyde's desperate run to take his "shoes off and throw them in the lake", while his bandmates answer him with "uh oh oh's" for the ages.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I know what's good for me, April 28, 2005

By	Buzzipper "Buzzy" (Winterport, ME United States) - See all my reviews

This CD. It's fantastic. These guys make music that is exactly what I want to hear. It's wild, offbeat, rambunctious. When I first listened to it, I couldn't stand it. And that's usually the best sign for me. If I like it immediately, I don't trust it. I didn't like this CD at all immediately, in fact, I felt like it was stifled somehow. Hazy. Muddled. Loud and distracting for no reason. And the songs seemed disconnected and all the same. So I gave it a break. Then I listened to it again. I was shocked at how catchy and clear it was. Each song suddenly took on a life of its own. Especially "Hounds of Love" which I didn't even know was a cover at the time. I've listened to it dozens of times since, and it's easily one of my all-time favorites. Classic. If more music like this is coming out of England, sign me up.