I desperately wanted to like The Futureheads' newest album, "News and Tributes." I really did. Their first album -- self-titled, critically-acclaimed and incredibly catchy -- was a breath of fresh air. From start to finish, it was packed with hoots and hollers, clean-cut guitar riffs and a seemingly endless energy.
Their sophomore album, however, falls far short of its predecessor, leaving the listener bored and underwhelmed. On "News and Tributes," the band has exchanged the stylistic highlights of its debut for a fuzzier sound, more subdued attitude and less of the "Look Mom, I'm in a band!" showboating that made their debut so fun to listen to. Undeniably, the band has matured and grown in many ways in the time between their two albums, but they seem to have confused youth with fun and eliminated most signs of both.
When comparing the newest album to the first, The Futureheads frontman Barry Hyde said, "Our first album was made by giddy teenage boys but this one has been made by big strong men." While the album certainly demonstrates this change, it is not necessarily for the best.
"News and Tributes" kicks off with the track "Yes/No," a jubilant song that mistakenly focuses on a bland chorus, consisting of the band chanting "Yes! No! Yes! No!" ad nauseam, while the more poignant verses are lost in the shuffle of grungy guitars.
The first truly notable song, "Skip to the End," comes four tracks into the disc. That song, which serves as the album's first single, is slow but punchy, using a cappella-like vocals to bridge between musings on what the future may hold. It is a bright spot on the album, without a doubt, and it gives the listener a taste of what might have been.
The bright spots on the album are extraordinary, but unfortunately, few and far between. The title track, "News and Tributes," joins with "Worry About It Later" and "Skip to the End" as the band's best efforts, leaving the rest of the album far behind. These three tracks definitely show the band's musical progress, and each is as good as, or better than, any single track taken from The Futureheads' first record.
As an album, however, "News and Tributes" just doesn't come together. The songs don't mesh, the tempo jumps all over the place without flow, and the entire album seems like it was produced out of necessity, not because The Futureheads were full of great ideas. In a recent interview, guitarist Ross Millard spoke about the band's goals for the new album, saying that the band, "wanted more space in the music, less complex guitar, looser drums and a more timeless feel to the record. We wanted to prove we were more than a 180 bpm one-trick pony." The band proved such, but with one caveat: the new trick isn't as good as the old one.
Still, "News and Tributes" is not a total loss. Known for their extensive tours, The Futureheads have developed most of their signature sound and identity while on the road, playing shows across Europe and the United States. The material on the new album is slower, more expansive and perhaps more accessible than that of the first record. Indeed, if The Futureheads are to achieve mainstream prominence, the brilliance of their debut album will likely be overlooked in favor of selections from "News and Tributes." More importantly, the songs from "News and Tributes" fill an important niche in the band's repertoire as a whole and will improve their live show exponentially. Songs like "Yes/No," and "Back to the Sea," while sounding hollow and false on a studio album, will be cornerstones and audience favorites in clubs and arenas.
This album should not be considered a sophomore slump album, but it does represent a stylistic step back for The Futureheads. Instead of being new and different, or even simply different, The Futureheads look like a poor man's Wolf Parade or Franz Ferdinand. The band has expanded on their ideas in the form of longer songs, but has consequently lost a lot of its unique sound and most of its punch. True, I could listen to "News and Tributes" more times in one week than the more brash and raw "The Futureheads," but the fact remains that I don't want to. Grade: C+.