Future not so bright

I can't tell you exactly what's missing from the new Futureheads album, News and Tributes. But what I will say is that it lacks pop sensibility; or more importantly, enough of it.\nThere was something about their self-titled first release that made it work. It wouldn't have been fair to call it gimmicky, even if they were the resurrection of Rockapella with feedback and off-beats. The Futureheads knew how to write a hook, and they had a good one in almost every song. \nI've listened to News and Tributes about a dozen times over the last few days, and it's got a lot of the same. Everything is tight. They still make frequent stops in the ruckus to harmonize at oddly appropriate times. And they still aren't interested in maintaining a four-beat tempo. But, like every band should, they've attempted to grow and expand on their sound. And all I'm saying, man, is that they went the wrong way, and ended up sounding gloomy. Lots of minor keys. Still works, but not as well.\nThe album starts out with the same pace as its predecessor, but the anthemic "Yes/No" is markedly dissimilar than 2003's "A to B" … because this time around, the Futureheads have discovered the concept of echo. From there, they move onto "Cope," which is just as loud but twice as angry as anything you've heard them play before. \nAfter "Skip to the End" and "Fallout" prove to be more throwaway than noteworthy, the band regains its pace with "Burnt," which is heavy on the surf guitar. You can almost hear Frank Black babbling incoherently on "Trompe le Monde."\nThe following title track would have fit right in on the first album had the band been in a state of depression. If I may wax poetic, it reminds me of a morning bell under gray skies and the promise of a shitty day on an assembly line. And it doesn't segue into white-noise cacophony of "The Return of the Berserker" at all. \nAnd right about here you'll forget what you're listening to. You'll drift listlessly for a few tracks, disappointed that a band that has so much potential could miss so hard. And then, you come to "Favours for Favours" to save you from an energy-draining sophomore attempt. By far the best track on the album, even if it may be the most user-friendly and radio-ready, its sing-along and uplifting. And that is the Futureheads at their best. \nI wouldn't call News and Tributes misguided, because it's apparent the band knows what it's doing. I would definitely, though, call it a misfire. You could do worse by picking this up, but you could definitely do better.