If you'd no knowledge of them previously, you might credibly wonder why the music press are creaming their collective jeans over THE FUTUREHEADS: four smashing, but sussed young lads who make few concessions to fashion and have a penchant for playing working mens' clubs. Like, uh? Bet The Strokes are shitting themselves, eh?
Well, they bloody well will be when they hear "The Futureheads", because even the briefest exposure to the band's debut album finds the pieces falling thrillingly into place. It's got the immediacy and brashness of The Buzzcocks and Libertines, the spikiness of (sorry, but it does) early XTC and the Gang Of Four circa "Entertainment" and couples it with the trickiness of Beefheart's Magic Band and a knack for four-way harmonies virtually unrivalled in modern-day British pop. You interested yet? Believe me, it's your loss if you ain't.
Actually, when you consider the band's co-producers you get the idea of the way "The Futureheads" brilliantly balances the happy familiarity of the past's best moments with the shock of the new. The control room is alternately manned by Andy Gill (yes, the legendary Gang Of Four guitarist) and Paul Epworth, a man known for his live sound for The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem, and both men bring their expertise to bear on what is an irresistible statement of intent from these young Wearsiders.
The 'Heads have already made a name for themselves owing to their spiky, brevity-fuelled singles "Robot" and "A To B". Both are included here and are damn near peerless. "A To B" (helmed by Gill) is herky-jerky and entirely immediate, while "Robot" is re-recorded and more manic than ever, sounding like the logical extension of the more bug-eyed bits of XTC's "Drums & Wires". They're followed swiftly by new single "Decent Days & Nights", which is arguably even better, throwing - in typical Futureheads fashion - about 20 killer tunes at us in barely two minutes. Cracking.
Elsewhere, the band's natural cockiness is well represented by tunes like "Carnival Kids" and "Stupid And Shallow". The former is spuzzy, punked-up, Buzzcocks-style pop, complete with weedy, Peter Shelley-style lead guitar, while "Stupid And Shallow" features one of the year's immortal choruses in "You eat shit, 'cos you're stupid and shallow, but I like you when you're stupid and shallow." Barry Hyde sings this with genuine relish and simultaneously does for the Wearside accent what Feargal Sharkey did for the Bogside twenty-five years back. None of that trying to sound Transatlantic shite round here, y'knaa.
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Even if this was all "The Futureheads" achieved, it would still be a notable album, but Hyde and co have further-reaching desires to attend to, as emphasised by tracks like opener "Le Garage" and the remarkable "Danger Of The Water". "Le Garage" finds a dreamier feel and superb, doo-wop-style harmonies hijacking the 'Heads' customary, wiry pop, while "Danger..." goes the whole hog and - save for some textural organ - dispenses with instruments altogether and presents an intricate acapella ballad with distant, atmospheric harmonies misting over the lens. It's brave, challenging and could easily backfire, but - unlike some of TV On The Radio's recent hip falsetto efforts - actually works perfectly.
Elsewhere, the 'Heads joyous racket throws a variety of unlikely, but still poppy and accessible shapes. "The City Is Here For You To Use," for instance, features amazing, tom-heavy drumming from David Hyde, while the ace "covers the cost" chorus is the kinda thing long-forgotten Brummie shamblers The Nightingales would have loved. The most unlikely victory of all is returned by their take on Kate Bush's "Hounds Of Love", where, with some aplomb they miraculously turn it into an obvious Futureheads song. Jesus, as I remember North Eastern forbears China Drum used to do a stonking cover of "Wuthering Heights" too: is it something they're slipping into the water up there or what?
" The most you can do is get carried away," sings Barry sagely during "Decent Days & Nights", knowing full well
"The Futureheads" will easily win over the hardest of hearts. Indeed, as fast, furious, frenetic and fantastic goes, this fine debut fits the bill to a T. The future's there for the (re)shaping and this is one wise young band who have plugged into strategic bits of the past to do just that.
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