The Futureheads were part of the pack that emerged in a post-Libertines world in the United Kingdom – spearheaded by the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, the Futureheads slotted nicely into place, being jauntier than the aforementioned act, but not as abstract nor as angular as the likes of Maxïmo Park.

Now, for their second album, News and Tributes, the band have dropped some of the doo-wop influence that made their self-titled debut release stand out that little bit more, with that sort of trick only really coming through on “Thursday”. Instead, the likes of “Yes/No” and the excellent “Burnt” stick to a much more standard run-through than would normally be expected from a band out to challenge on their second album.

Where The Futureheads had a great cover of Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love”, News and Tributes is all originals – and “Skip to the End” and “Back to the Sea” are particularly good. But this is much straighter than the Futureheads of their debut; the songs are more cleanly put together by producer Ben Hillier, with the angular guitar on the title cut hidden behind the rhythm and voice, rather than brought to the fore.

It makes News and Tributes effectively cast the Futureheads as a very different sort of band. There’s certainly a bevy of strong songs on show throughout this second album, and a song like “Worry About It Later” could definitely stake a claim for the band in the United States. Indeed, the refining of the edges of the band throughout this album clearly is tailored to some degree for the American market, delivering a strong collection of songs that isn’t as wild as its predecessor.