News and Tributes (679 Recordings)

• The time - the day the Futureheads handed their second in at the label
• The place - Record executives office
• The stars - THE RECORD EXECUTIVE and er…band

Exec - “So Futureheads, thanks for personally bringing in your latest opus, gotta hand it to you, you really got those kids onside with that brilliant Kate Bush cover, I’m liking your work, I can’t wait to hear this new one. I think we can consolidate the good work we’ve done in cornering the market for jagged, angular guitar music ala Gang of Four and great, you’ve beaten Bloc Party to their second album, I’m really pleased”

The Futureheads roll their eyes and sigh - “Well, we’ve mellowed it out quite alot but there are a splattering of the no brainer pop tracks which made the first album such a success but with a much angrier, thrashier sound, tracks such ‘Cope’ and ‘Return of the berserker’ will probably be right down your street”

Exec, scratching chin and badly disguising glancing at his watch - “oh good”

“but basically we’ve gone for a more subtle approach with this one, we’ve seen how so many bands before us have gone for the same approach with their difficult second album and fail, you know, yer Vines, yer Strokes, yer Kings of Leon, we didn’t want to go down that route so we’ve broadened our musical horizon, gosh, even added some Beach Boys style harmonies on two of the highlights on the album, ‘Fallout’ and ‘Thursday’”.

“Well”, they continue enthusiastically “we’ve gone for a slowburning approach with an album which can be equally enjoyed day and night, at home or in a club. The lead single ‘Skip to the end’ could even pass off as Hard-Fi covering Acdc and ‘Burnt’ is a melodic introspective track with almost anthemic qualities, so…what do you think?"

Exec - "Get out"
7/10

Chris Todd