The Futureheads - Rant
Artist: The Futureheads
Album: Rant
Label: Nul Records
OUT NOW
Rating: 3.5/5
A Cappella has always been a fascinated style of music that, when done well, can sound absolutely amazing.
And that is exactly what The Futureheads have done with their new album Rant as they have recorded it without a single instrument - it really is a cappella from start to finish.
This is close harmony work of the highest order, anything less and this album would not have worked, Rant shows that a cappella can be truly successful and record well.
There is a real folk feel in the middle of the album with the likes of the Keeper and The Old Dun Cow, and it seems to be a genre of music that lends itself well to this vocal style.
The highlight of the album has to be Meet Me Halfway as The Futureheads to a fantastic a cappella version of the Black Eyed Peas smash hit record - and it really does work well.
This track has been turned from a piece of run of the mill pop into a really beautiful love song; this is one of the best cover versions that I have heard in quite some time.
While the a cappella is a strength of this album it is also a bit of a weakness as it is the same on every track - perhaps this little experiment would have worked better as an EP rather than a full album.
It would have been nice to see this style interchanged with instrument/music based tracks - it just feels a little samey as the album progresses.
This is not an album that we have come to expect from the Futureheads but they really must be applauded for thinking outside the box and daring to try something new, this is one hell of a curveball.
Rant is an album that is full of energy as The Futureheads really have given it all that they have got, and that come over in the tight vocals and harmonies from start to finish.
But this is not a style of album that will appear to everyone - which is a real shame.
The Futureheads - Rant is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw