Vagrant Records
2006
News And Tributes
About This Album
Though the Area EP suggested that the Futureheads' sound had matured since the days of their early singles and self-titled debut album, the extent to which the band has grown on News and Tributes still comes as a bit of a shock. Granted, many of the songs on The Futureheads had been around for a while, so it was almost inevitable that when the band returned with new material, it would sound at least a little different. Still, the big, polished sound that producer Ben Hillier gives News and Tributes -- which adds muscle and swagger to the rockers and atmosphere to the ballads -- comes as a bit of a surprise, which is only underscored by the album's lyrical depth. Basically, the Futureheads have grown up, and News and Tributes is all about the changes that happen and difficult choices that must be made while growing up. This means the album has a lot less songs about robots and first days on the job, and a lot more songs with titles like "Cope" and lyrics such as "please remember to let me down gently." Fortunately, though, the tension between the Futureheads' bigger, more confident sound and lyrics that are anything but gives their music a sharper focus than it did on their first album.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,11,12 and 13)

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