Once upon a time, circa 1966, there were pop rock bands with a fascinating gimmick: one person would sing and then an entirely different person would sing. At the same time. They called it harmony, and it was good. British newcomer The Futureheads has picked up on this trick.
The quartet is like a post-punk version of the Beach Boys: all a cappella harmony and furious, jangly guitar work. Its self-titled debut album crams fifteen songs into just under forty minutes and maintains a wild energy throughout, combining variations on the theme of relationships, with ditties composed to new jobs, urban life and surrealist photographers.
Lead singer Barry Hyde alternates plaintive wails with a staccato delivery while the band backs him up with as many “oohs, “aahs” and harmonic tricks as any album since Pet Sounds. Often compared to fellow Brits and tour mates Franz Ferdinand, the Futureheads have a sloppier charm than their hipster older brothers, and tend to abandon traditional verse-chorus-verse structure to revel in a single chanted lyric or a chorus of punk rock shouts.
“Hounds of Love” and “Decent Days and Nights” are two especially noteworthy tracks. “Hounds,” an addictive cover of a song by ‘80s singer Kate Bush, makes a winning combination out of outrageously emo lyrics and crashing guitars, while “Decent” features the best guitar hook and songwriting on the album.
The album has some weak songwriting, notably the appropriately titled “Stupid and Shallow,” and the songs blur together after a few dozen listens. Most songs are marked by less than spectacular drumming, and the second half drags a bit. Nonetheless, this album is a strong debut and deserves kudos for bringing back vocal harmony, R.E.M.-style guitars and outlandish British accents.
