The Futureheads – The Chaos
by Matthew James on July 9th, 2010
The Futureheads - The Chaos
June 1st, 2010
Dovecote Records
Score: 5.9
After a couple of albums spent attempting to build on the great promise of their 2004 self-titled debut, it appears The Futureheads may have given up in trying to do something a little different. The Chaos sees the band from England’s Northeast reverting back to the jagged post-punk of their first record filled with big hooks and big harmonies. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this at all, but there are times when you get the feeling that you have probably heard all this before. Perhaps the biggest mistake The Futureheads made in their career was releasing the Kate Bush cover ‘Hounds Of Love’ as a single. It gave them a top 10 hit in their homeland but also led to an over-expectant record company that grew impatient and wary of the band as they demanded more of the same. They now have the freedom of being on their own label (released through Dovecote in the US) but the momentum and confidence of the band has certainly been affected by their trials over the last few years. Still there are some great songs to be heard on The Chaos, especially the opening trio of songs that will have you reminiscing about the band’s greatest triumphs. Big and brash, The Futureheads are at their power-pop best on these thumping tunes. The title track kicks things off with punk chords, a great melody, and the band’s trademark vocal harmonies. ‘Struck Dumb’ is also a great driving song packed with everything that made the group’s debut record such a fascinating affair. But while this is the strength of The Chaos, it also is The Futureheads’ biggest downfall. There is little variation along the way and after the initial rush created by the opening tracks, you are left with a solid album that is a lot of fun and easy to jump around to but slightly lacking upon closer contemplation.
Matthew James
Cloudland Canyon