retro review #4

Another retro review, this one's from June 2008. Hope you enjoy.

The Futureheads - This is Not the World

For a band who were considering calling it a day, The Futureheads are doing surprisingly well. The four piece, north-east UK rock-popsters have recently released their third full length album entitled, This Is Not The World.

The Futureheads hit the scene in 2004 in quite a big way with their debut self titled LP. Their immediate, catchy tunes and pop punk sensibilities ensured them an almost instantaneous dedicated fan following.

2006; however, saw many people with a strong sense of disillusionment at The Futureheads sound and direction. With their Sophomore album, News and Tributes being far more polished and mainstream then their original efforts.

Two years later the boys seem to have both returned to their roots and taken a few giant steps forward. This Is Not The World is everything you could possibly want from a Futureheads release.

The album takes no time at all to fall in love with. It’s simple and memorable formula is what good pop music is all about. From first listen you’ll be humming the opening track (and coincidentally, the first single), ‘The Beginning Of The Twist’.

Other undeniably stand out tracks include ‘Think Tonight’, ‘Hard To Bear’, ‘Work Is Never Done’, ‘Everything’s Changing Today’ and the current single, ‘Radio Heart’ which I has been stuck in my head for what seems like days now.

Don’t get me wrong, This Is Not The World is nowhere near one of the best albums I’ve heard of late. I can’t imagine it becoming a future ‘classic’ release, far from it but it’s without a doubt fun and likeable. The kind of album which lifts your spirits and increases the urge to embarrass yourself on the dance floor (either literally or figuratively).

If you’ve yet to hear this album then I strongly recommend getting down to your local record store and grabbing yourself a copy. Your CD player will thank you for it.

-Lesley