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8 out of 10
It's a shame that The Futureheads' second album 'News & Tributes', produced by Ben Hillier, is going to be seen as a low point in their career and that 'This Is Not The World' is going to be misleadingly called "a return to form". They were dropped by their label 679 just six months after 'News & Tributes'' release after it didn't produce a hit like 'Hounds Of Love', but the quiet title track, the Ross Millard sung 'Back To The Sea' and the frenzied punk of 'The Return Of The Bezerker' are among some of my favourite Futureheads songs. It's also worth remembering that their self-titled debut, usually spoken of in far more favourable terms than its follow up, benefited from good timing. Coming out in summer 2004 it, this was the height of the indie renaissance that began in 2001, and it was produced by hipper names than Hillier such as Paul Epworth and Gang Of Four's Andy Gill. Admittedly, it does contain their two best songs so far, 'Decent Days And Nights' and 'Man Ray'. With all this in mind, 'This Is Not The World' is not so much "a return to form" as a return to something more familiar, while retaining the glossy production of their last LP. Take opener and single 'The Beginning Of The Twist'; if that had been recorded in 204 it would have been far more wiry than the chunky, magnificent post-punk swirl it is today. Barry and David Hyde, Jaff and Millard have reclaimed their future after the 679 fiasco, releasing 'TINTW' on their own Nul Records label (Named after their first EPs, 'Nul Book Standard' and '1-2-3 Nul!') and working with producer Youth. There's little doubt that 'TINTW' has some of the best songs the Sunderland quartet have ever written on it, such as the rough post-punk-pop of the title track and 'Think Tonight' - like The Cure playing garage rock. 'Broke Up The Time' has a neat dig at the Modern Life Is Rubbish brigade and those whinging, more-working-class-than-thou indie bands when Barry sings: "If I hear one more person/Talking about these days/Saying it's hard in this day and age/I will explode." Then 'Sale Of The Century' is heavy by their standards, industrial even in the verses with its bursts of metallic, electronic scraping, while the chorus is their most euphoric moment since the opening of 'Hounds Of Love'. The only complaint is that over 12 songs it gets samey, there are less surprises than on 'News & Tributes' and even 'Hounds Of Love' was took people aback the first time they heard it. Apart from 'Hard To Bear's' stadium indie, which is still too off-kilter to be Coldplay or anything, and Millard sounding more like Mark Hoppus every time I hear him sing on 'Work Is Never Done', despite his Mackem accent. But this is a very good Futureheads album; one of three very good Futureheads albums. Listen: www.myspace.com/thefutureheads
Tracklist:
1. The Beginning Of The Twist 2. Walking Backwards 3. Think Tonight 4. Radio Heart 5. This Is Not The World 6. Sale Of The Century 7. Hard To Bear 8. Work Is Never Done 9. Broke Up The Time 10. Everything's Changing Today 11. Sleet 12. See What You Want
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