The Futureheads - The Chaos

When you think about the The Futureheads it will mainly conjure up memories of the mid-naughties when sharp indie-pop from students was all the rage.

On their fourth album, The Chaos, the Sunderland grown group try hard to move away from the yelping and the angular guitar niche they carved out for themselves originally. You'd be forgiven for believing that after releasing music on their own label that they would tear loose and explore more; instead they seem to play it safer than ever.

That's not to say that there aren't positives to take from this album however. There are hints of a darker, bitter content and while tracks such as 'Struck Dumb' and 'Sun Goes Down' have attention grabbing riffs and lyrics the rest of the album relies on too much pointless repetition and middle-of-the-road guitar washes.

The Futureheads seem to be trying to fill a hole already filled by Maximo Park...years ago. While the frenetic and jittery energy of old remains, there is little new or exciting, it's the regular radio-friendly pop. No sooner does a song start than you feel the urge to skip it to find a track less repetitive and obvious, a feat we know they're capable of.

Any avid fans of either the band or this type or foppish indie energy won't be disappointed but the band needs to do more to survive in this new decade of music. The music isn't bad music, it just isn't original and anyone not enamoured by the bands previous efforts won't want to indulge in more than a quick flick through.

Nathan Fidler