The Futureheads

England's Futureheads may be one of the first real punk bands to emerge in many years. With an arsenal of blisteringly fast, great songs, a strident artiness, and so much youth, their trajectory should be unstoppable. "On their self-titled full-length debut, the Futureheads turn the promise of their early EPs and singles into an almost relentlessly playful, lively and smart album of zippy post-punk-pop. Even though shades of XTC, the Jam and Gang of Four (whose Andy Gill produced the album) jump out at almost every turn on Futureheads, the band's chiming, precise vocal harmonies — which sound more British Invasion than new wave — give their sound a distinctive kick. And, while they follow in roughly the same footsteps that other post-punk/new wave renovators like their friends Franz Ferdinand, the Futureheads sound too spazzy to be quite that fashionable; likewise, they're bouncy and danceable without being tied into the increasingly tired dance-punk sound." - All Music Guide