dot_fennel | [music] THE FUTUREHEADS

Perhaps the reason I'm so excited about the current post-punk-revival is that the sounds being revived didn't originally flare up and burn out fad-style; there was a whole decade of this stuff, in one form or another. Revivals, of course, are often shallow than the thing they measure themselves against, but in this case there's plenty of room to expand into. I can't just say this Futureheads record sounds like XTC, Wire and Gang Of Four; I have to specify that it has XTC's stutter, Wire's sideways fury and -- well, now I can't remember what reminded me of the GoF. Maybe the bass.

On first listen, I got that all these borrowings had been infused with an appeallingly original melodic sense. On second listen, though, I think the primary modification the band has made to their roots is of the harder-faster-more variety. XTC's Andy Partridge was "eccentric" or "quirky"; when imitating him, F-heads singer Barry Hyde is more often driven or twitchy. Definite danger of this becoming my favorite new band.

Turns out it was produced by the Gang Of Four's guitarist, Andy Gill. Ha! I'm awarding myself a little gold star for that.