The Futureheads - Powers (2019) [Hi-Res]

Of all the dance-punk acts of the mid-'00s, it seemed as if the Futureheads ended up being the ones who just couldn't move forward; eight years after their celebrated self-titled 2004 debut, the quartet shook things up with their a cappella experiment, Rant, then disbanded.

With Powers, though, the band break their seven years of silence with a set of tracks that show the Sunderland, England quartet sounding relaxed, rejuvenated and free of expectation. Opening track "Jekyll" sets the mood, letting loose with a raucous opening guitar riff that co-vocalist Barry Hyde matches with his buzzsaw energy. Although the band's sixth LP includes some of the band's most inventive material, including the electro-guided "Electric Shock" and the valiantly confessional lyrics of "Headcase" (exploring Barry's struggles with mental illness), a portion of the 12-track, 54-minute LP relies on the same wiry, chanted blueprint.

Nonetheless, Powers is a surprisingly sturdy comeback album that sounds exactly how you remember the Futureheads, and that, at least for nostalgia's sake at least, isn't a bad thing at all. (Nul)