March 1, 2007

The Futureheads' News & Tributes

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The Futureheads sophomore effort, News and Tributes, does not reel in new fans on the first go-around. As purveyors of some of the most experimental rock and post-punk imported from England, the Sunderland quartet does not necessarily aim to ingratiate itself with your tastes at first spin. Their (off)beats and occasionally jarring chord choices jibe more with the lyrical content of each song than the scheme of humdrum pop rock.

Fans of the slightly disturbing Pee-wee’s playhouse might recognize some of the harmonic efforts, but musically the vocals are all too original. Songs like “Cope” exemplify the Futureheads anti-formula. With a refrain of “We make it hard for you to cope,” the guitars must thrash and the sonically agreeable harmonies must howl. This LP’s first single, “Skip to the End” introduces the Futureheads well; listen thrice and the third effort glues the song, and likewise the album, into your Futurehead.