Toil and Fund

The Futureheads arrived on the music scene as second rung performers during the 2004 dance punk beat revival. The observation isn’t a reflection on their ability but rather the reality that they are the work horses while their peers, Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, claim thoroughbred status. The Futureheads gained hard-won fans with a pop punk version of Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love,” but there have been several hiccups along the way regarding their promotion. Thus, dropped by the music industry machine, the Futureheads have courageously self-released third album This Is Not The World on their label, Nul Records.Impervious to looseness, the Futureheads have marching band precision when it comes to starts and stops. Controlled mania and four-part harmonies barrel along with an injection of Hardcore tension and release. The two likely contenders for singles should have been “Hard to Bear” and “Think Tonight,” but unfortunately they aren’t. Both are melodically catchy and less strident than their album mates, the latter being very suggestive of The Jam. Actual single “The Beginning of the Twist” with its slap-back drums is snappy but interchangeable with other songs of the genre.

It is possible the lyrics, “Sometimes it feels like/we are walking backwards/up the mountain,” from “Walking Backwards,” are a veiled reference to the Futureheads’ musical career. It must feel that way when forced to claw one’s way to the middle. It is a shame the young band has been shuffled under foot. Yet, the Futureheads are committed to the music. This Is Not The World is a testament to their determination to carry on, working hard on their own dime, with buoyancy and great potential.