Megaforce
2008
This Is Not The World
About This Album
The Futureheads made a bold move by releasing This Is Not the World on their own label, Nul Records. However, that might be the boldest thing about it -- This Is Not the World often feels like the band's take on a pop album, full of streamlined, punchy songs that aren't exactly dumbed-down, but do sound much more straightforward than any of the Futureheads' earlier music. Trying to keep up with all the harmonies, quick tempo changes, and razor-sharp riffs the band crammed into The Futureheads and News and Tributes was a big part of what made those albums so appealing and rewarding on repeated listens, so This Is Not the World's simpler approach is a little disappointing.

It's also a bit surprising, considering how ambitious and introspective News and Tributes was, but where that album looked inward, This Is Not the World is almost all action; even "Hard to Bear," some post-breakup friendly advice that's the closest thing to a ballad here, gallops along at a relatively brisk clip. "The Beginning of the Twist" and "Think Tonight" prove that the album's glossy production didn't hinder the band's energy at all -- drummer Dave Hyde's playing is so propulsive, it's almost tangible -- yet too often, the energy the band pumps into these songs is more memorable than the songs themselves.
Track List (try tracks 1,4,6,9 and 11)

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