The Futureheads are a post punk band from Sunderland comprised of vocalists and guitarists Barry Hyde and Ross Millard, vocalist and bassist David ‘Jaff’ Craig and vocalist and drummer Dave Hyde. Formed in 2000, the group are renowned for singing in their proud regional accents. They split in 2013 because lead singer Barry Hyde was suffering from problems with his mental health that were becoming harder to negotiate. They have joined forces once again and have a new album” Powers”, which is their sixth studio release and their first electric guitar release in almost a decade.
The opening track `Jekyll` whose title, references Barry`s bipolarity, is almost as provocative as the music provided within. It`s a real mix match of a track, thumping, pulsating with some angst driven guitar riffs, speaking about the track, frontman Barry Hyde said: “[It’s] a violent song about my childhood disgust at the grinning, jeering faces of certain fellow primary school students (even the nice ones) whenever there was a playground fight. It left a scar in my
Psyche that I just can`t shake”
I really loved `Good Night Out` which reminded me of the early releases from The Teardrop Explodes or The Jam. It`s a really catchy anthemic singalong track and I can see this becoming a favourite in a live setting. `Animus` is another track that is written about depression. It has a real raw, punkish feel about it with the vocals almost spat out as a challenge.
‘Across the Border’ is a real political vocal tirade about the state of the nation. Ross Millard shares “We live in a region that’s somehow or other been tagged as the poster boy for Brexit, and the misinformation and aggression that this referendum has brought out in people has become a really terrifying thing that I haven’t seen in my lifetime. It’s a defining moment in British politics that’s impossible to ignore if you’re making art.” The song has a real Gang of Four, Chumbawamba feel about it and benefits from the ability of setting a radical diatribe to a very danceable tune. The questioning chorus of “What would it take to change your mind?” is quite an ear worm.
The following track `Electric Shock` is a very stop / start affair where the word “Bittersweet” recurs throughout and as the meaning of this word is “arousing pleasure tinged with sadness or pain”, it could indeed be a metaphor for the album as a whole.
`Stranger In A New Town` is a fairly relaxed emotive piece and a little respite from the other more truculent offerings. There is a charm to the off kilter `Listen Little Man’ a song named after an essay / book by controversial Austrian psychoanalyst and therapist Wilhelm Reich. It outlined his political philosophy, in particular his views on direct action as the only means for the working class to achieve liberation.
A track that contemplates mania or obsession comes with `Headcase` a driving, perplexing three-minute slice of anguish, wonderful.
The next couple of tracks `Idle Hands` and `Don`t Look Now` are more harmonic, excellent slices of indie pop. The former a gentle but twisting fusion of vocal synchronisations and the latter having more of a catchy chorus to enable us to join in.
The penultimate song `0704` or ‘7 Hours, 4 Minutes’ is a love song to Barry Hyde`s partner and young daughter. He states “We had a home birth, she had a paracetamol and that was it. At midnight her waters broke, and then Nico my daughter came at four minutes past seven. That song’s a little monument to my first born.”
The album closes with `Mortals` which begins with the word “today” being almost repetitively chanted and then more words are supplemented as the song progresses. We end up with “Today I learnt something and what I learnt it got under my skin” which again is repeated anxiously until the title of the track “Mortals” is recited as part of the chorus. Strangely unnerving but quite compelling.
I have to admit that The Futureheads had passed me by, but I really relished this release. It`s a thoroughly honest album, addressing some difficult deep rooted and personal issues and i`m sure this was very cleansing come cathartic to the band. The guys are touring and playing their debut album in full at the end of the year and i`m sure that a fair few of these songs will be road tested at that time as well. A good enough reason, if required to attend.
Rating 8.5/10
