The Futureheads’ name may be inspired by a ten year-old Flaming Lips album, but their music is purely herky-jerky new wave. This schtick has been rehashed off and on for a couple decades now, so it takes deft touch to avoid total cliché-meltdown. They were wise to choose the underrated first three XTC albums as a template, as that sound has not yet been beaten into the ground, and ’77-’79 model XTC were more varied and crafty than normally given credit for. There’s plenty other recognizable elements of course. Most distressingly is “Robot,” which is carbon-copy Jam, a band that has been plagiarized to death. Great tune though.
The band manages to step outside its punky comfort zone with “Alms,” which begins with a quirky acapella vocal and guitar tone that recalls more recent Dismemberment Plan, and “Danger Of The Water,” a mostly vocal doo-wop song. “First Day” and “A To B” are so incessantly catchy it almost feel like you’re being bulldozed by hooks. The frenetic pace slows a couple times for much-needed breathers, and overall exudes a sense of lighthearted fun. Not a single track can be faulted for lacking in energy, catchiness or ideas. Yet it’s not a faultless album, as it leaves you craving for a couple more challenging tunes to chew on.
