The Futureheads’ “The Chaos”

The Chaos hits the ground running with a high-intensity, Clash-influenced sound. The album continues in a decidedly post-punk fashion, albeit almost comically politely.If you are feeling a hankering for your angst-y teenage roots, this album may be for you. The drums keep the tempo of adolescent rebellion; adolescents rebelling against what exactly they’re not quite […]

Luke Goddard

7
out of 10

The Futureheads
The Chaos
June 1, 2010

The Chaos hits the ground running with a high-intensity, Clash-influenced sound. The album continues in a decidedly post-punk fashion, albeit almost comically politely.If you are feeling a hankering for your angst-y teenage roots, this album may be for you. The drums keep the tempo of adolescent rebellion; adolescents rebelling against what exactly they’re not quite sure. The Chaos is an album 16-year olds can sing along with loudly in their cars, thinking they’re living dangerously–the soundtrack to their first taste of freedom.

Interestingly enough, just as I was about to write off this album entirely, along comes “Jupiter (And Secret Track),” The Chaos’s final hoorah in two parts: not a complete departure from the preceding ten tracks but surely the most noteworthy. Suddenly the music is less linear, texture appears, a hint of prog-rock waiting in the wings, even suggesting some of the background vocal harmonies of Queen.

An open letter to The Futureheads: make more music like “Jupiter” please!