The Futureheads - This Is Not The World

It could have been easy for The Futureheads to quit after parting ways with former label 679. It could have been even easier to write an album’s worth of bitter, angry songs describing in comprehensive detail just how they felt towards the ‘industry’ as a whole. Further still, they could have written and released a record as quickly as possible, solely to prove that they were still around.

Thankfully, ‘This Is Not The World’ isn’t any of this - it’s a measured, coherent and wonderful slice of all that is good and great about the four boys from Sunderland, such as it is a mixture of the frantic energy which won us over during their eponymous debut, and the maturity, considered approach of ‘News And Tributes’. In short, you get the feeling this is the album The Futureheads would have released regardless of any outside situation.

There’s the infectious punk-influenced pop (‘Broke Up The Time’, ‘Walking Backwards’, ‘Sleet’), the heartfelt (‘Hard To Bear’, ‘Think Tonight’) and the frankly quite strange (this particular writer’s favourite, ‘Sale Of The Century’). All that, and not yet a mention of singles ‘Radio Heart’ and ‘The Beginning Of The Twist’. Just like a live set from the quartet, it’s all over far too quickly, but you can’t help ending up with a grin on your face. Welcome back, The Futureheads.