10 Most Unappreciated Indie Rock Albums Of The 2000s

2. The Futureheads - News And Tributes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esMpGpLuGVM When The Futureheads released their self-titled debut in 2004, critics purred over the influence of bands like Gang Of Four and XTC and thanks to songs like the fabulous re-imagining of Kate Bush's 'Hounds Of Love' and bona fide modern classics like 'Meantime' and 'Decent Days And Nights', mainstream attention was also soon to follow. The group decided to take a risk of sorts after this by diverting from the frantic, post-punk exploits that served them so well before and went in a more deliberate direction with News And Tributes in 2006, which saw them being dropped from their record label 679 after poor sales. It's a crying shame too because News And Tributes was equally brilliant in its own way despite not being as instant or accessible as their debut release. The album is a musical roller-coaster swerving up, down and everywhere in-between with songs like the fantastic hard rock hammer 'Cope', the simply gorgeous atmospherics and wonderfully written 'Favours For Favours', the empty desolation of 'Burnt', the furious noise rock titan 'The Return Of The Berserker' and the list goes on and on in what was a more personal landmark record for the band because it established them as much more than what many had perceived them as. The gentle storm of 'Back To The Sea' is a perfect example of this. It demonstrated the new-found restraint and pinpoint calibration the group applied to this LP, displaying a deft touch that none in the genre could ever get close to. The group went on to make the fantastic album This Is Not The World. Released on their own record label Nul, it served as a stark reminder that they are one of the most multi-faceted groups to emerge from the scene as it was a complete 360 from the more melancholic News And Tributes by featuring some of their most direct compositions to date. Still, News And Tributes stands out because of its versatility and introspection in a genre that was often lacking these traits, helping to make it one of the great lost records of the noughties.