Amongst Your Hounds Of The Loving (The Futureheads - Futureheads)

Member Name: Andy.mack

Product:	The Futureheads - Futureheads
Date:	24/01/09 (122 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A solid debut of catchy tracks

Disadvantages: Not been replicated since

As far as debut albums go there have been few better over the last 5 or 6 years than the debut effort from The Futureheads. The 4 piece from Sunderland released their self titled debut album in 2004, having been together for about 4 years. This debut album would have passed by without too much attention had it not been for the bands cover of Kate Bush's "Hounds Of Love" during 2005. The song got the band noticed and while the 3 previous singles had been just as good it took the cover to really showcase the bands ability.

The album was the culmination of the previous 4 years work and along with producer Paul Epworth, who was also making his production debut the album was released on the 12th July 2004. It was meet by the usual clamour from the likes of NME to try and get the band as their next band of the century. Despite this attention the Furtureheads never seemed to get the credit their debut really deserved and while they built up a large cult following the album only made it to number 11 in the UK charts.

It's plain to see from the bands mixture of pop guitar riffs and fast paced indie songs that they know how to create a catchy tune. In fact this album has 15 tracks and there isn't a bad song amongst them. There isn't that filler album track that seems to be on every band's debut album. The combination of guitars complements each other incredibly well and while the bass gives the tracks some direction while the two guitars give it some depth and highlight the bands creativity. There are some very clear influences within the band's music with more than a nod to The Jam and the obvious influence of Kate bush given the bands cover.

Of course it's not only the musical side of this album that has that incredibly catchy feel to it. The vocals are also quite unique, but at the same time they stick in your head and I found that after a couple of listens I can't help singing along with just about every track whenever I hear this album. They combine the vocals between the two lead guitar players. I found that both Barry Hyde and Ross Millard have quite unique singing styles that really suit the way the songs are written. In fairness there is no real depth to the lyrics but they are just simple, catchy songs that you can listen to regardless of your mood.

As I've already mentioned there are 15 solid tracks on this album and I think there are few bands that can boast this sort of achievement on their debut album. There is of course the obvious cover of Kate Bush's "Hounds Of Love", from the start you can tell it's going to be a decent cover. They seem to have really captured the essence of the track. It has a good riff and the vocals make it an interesting take on the track, but one that really works.

While this is the track that really got the band noticed I would say it's probably not the best track on the album. The likes of "Decent Days and Nights" and "A To B" are equally as catchy and as they are the bands own songs I think they are slightly more suited to their style. The whole album is packed of decent songs though and it is hard to pick a bad one. Even the opening track "Le Garage" , which on first listen sounds a little weird grows on you the more you hear it. It did take me a couple of months to get really into this album but even now, 5 years later I still listen to this album a lot on my I pod.

Overall this is a very enjoyable and impressive debut album from the Sunderland based band. I don't really think they've managed to recapture the essence of this album on the subsequent 2 albums and that is a bit of a shame. As debut albums go this is one of my favourite albums, it contains simple riffs and very catchy songs that make it incredibly easy to listen to. There is no hidden message within the lyrics and the songs are exactly what they sound like, easy going feel good tracks. If you like Kate bush or the Jam or have enjoyed any of the bands other singles then I would seriously recommend you get a hold of a copy of this album.

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Summary: The Sunderland based Futureheads debut album