Futureheads deliver hyperactive Britrock

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Futureheads might sound like the name of an archnemesis of U.K. sci-fi hero Dr. Who, but this British band is much more grounded in reality.

In fact, the group wasn't so much forward-looking as ready for the here and now as it fired off round after round of tuneful bursts during Monday night's show at the Music Box in Hollywood.

On its albums, the band's often manic-paced art-rock with a punky bent was similar in part to the work of past tourmates Franz Ferdinand.

While their songs might not be as sharp and smart as Franz's, the Futureheads (actually named after a Flaming Lips album) make up for it through sheer amped-up energy laced with rough-hewn, four-part harmonies delivered in distinctive English accents.

The band blasted out of the box with a trio of numbers from its latest release "News and Tributes" (Vagrant), with "Yes/No," "Area" and "Cope" playing faster and more forceful than on record.

Although lead vocals were shared, guitarist-singer Barry Hyde handled most of the duties. His bellowing and the band's herky-jerky attack recalled the early days of

Paul Weller and the Jam, nearly 30 years ago. But the Futureheads add flashes of frantic ska to the mix as well.

Lead guitarist Ross Millard also took a few vocal spots, all the while setting off the tunes with jagged sonic scrawl and slashing chords.

Bassist Jaff pumped away and sang some, too. On a small drum kit (always a good sign the player won't be showboating), Hyde's younger brother Dave was an impressive, ceaseless beat engine.

The odd thing was that despite the band's enthusiasm and no-waste cluster-bomb song array, it never really achieved momentum or a sense of paced emotional drama.

Although rapid-fire explosions like "Return of the Berserker" bordered on appealing chaos, the group sounded best when mining such tightly wound riffs and hooks as "Burned" and "Fallout," both off the new album.

A ramshackle version of

Kate Bush's "The Hounds of Love" made for a startling cover number.

While pockets of the audience jumped right into the gyration fray for some unabashed body-shaking, the floor never reached its full maelstrom potential.

Perhaps this was because of the presence of cameras in roped-off areas and above the crowd, as the concert was filmed by Network Live, which will be distributing the show to select online outlets and satellite radio.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

The Futureheads (Music Box @ Fonday, Hollywood, Mon., June

19)