I remember back in late 2010 when I heard Futures for the first time. I liked their Jimmy Eat World-inspired pop/rock music full of energy. Since then the band have been working their way through the underground scene, leaving a trail of great live shows behind. Now they return with their major debut the Karma Album. Instantly I hear a better sound and stronger material, as expected. One song made it on here from the indie release and I will get to that later on. We are off to a slow start on the album but it gets better as soon as the first big chorus kicks in. We are treated to dreamy pop music like a softer side of JEW or Kids in Glass Houses without any hints of screaming. Valencia and The Dangerous Summer might also be good references.
Almost every song on here is super catchy with nice harmonies and big choruses. A classic formula but hey, why change a winning concept? Islands in the Sea is a prime example, a song that is impossible to sit still while listening to. Futures manage to balance the lyrics so that they are not cheesy and it is refreshing to hear songs that are not only about heartbreaks and misery. Karma Satellite is another grower and it gets bigger and better as the songs go. It just goes on and on, song after song that will make you smile, nod your head and maybe even dance a little.
The Boy Who Cried Wolf is the only song that made it from the indie album and it is such a great song, once again with a killer chorus. I have a hard time finding any flaws here and I will not spend any more time looking for then either. If there really is Karma, this album will bring the big break for Futures. This is a brilliant pop album! Better than Anberlin, Mae and such acts, that is not a bad feat for a band that has been around for a little over three years. The final lines on the album are: “hey hey, we are on our way” over and over again and I do believe that they are on their way to stardom. Album of the year so far in my books and I can tell you this: GET IT TODAY!
