The Futureheads: Ross Millard, Barry Hyde (vocals, guitar); Jaff (vocals, bass guitar); Peter Brewis (vocals, drums).
Recorded in the English countryside with producer Ben Hillier (Doves, Elbow), the Futureheads' sophomore album, NEW AND TRIBUTES, finds the Sunderland-based quartet building on their crisp, punchy self-titled debut. On this outing, the group offers up its trademark euphoric four-part vocal harmonies, while tempering fierce guitar lines and hard-hitting rhythms with more expansive and melodic arrangements. The wonderfully catchy single "Skip to the End" reinforces the Futureheads' link to revered New Wave post-punk acts, particularly, in this case, XTC. Those who favor the Futureheads' more aggressive side will be pleased by the furious "Return of the Berserker," but, overall, the disc goes for a thoughtful, multi-layered approach, as evinced on the melodic track, "Back to the Sea." Easily one of the finest British rock releases of 2006, NEW AND TRIBUTES is the sound of a youthful band maturing while still retaining its initial verve.
What the critics say...
Rolling Stone (p.70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[O]n NEWS AND TRIBUTES, the Futureheads make punk that's packed with ideas and downright radiant."
Q (p.115) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[With] tricksy song structures and lyrics that invoke nuclear catastrophe....A unique force in modern pop..."
Alternative Press (p.218) - 4 out of 5 -- "[T]he band's second act sees their four-part yodel parties toned down, their guitars less excitable and their ambitions grander -- and yet there's still nobody that sounds like 'em."
