Although The Big Pink released a mix CD entitled "Tapes" in 2010, "Future This" is the duo's second full album of original material. Like their debut, "Future This" is produced by Paul Epworth who has recently worked with the likes of Adele and Florence & the Machine among many other reputable artists.
His contribution to the record is once again unmistakable, but the album is clearly designed to build off of the band's past successes.
On "A Brief History of Love," "Dominos" was a clear stand-out single. Tracks like "Velvet" and "Too Young To Love" were still extremely enjoyable, but nothing compared to the soaring vocals of the chorus repeated on "Dominos." "Future This" utilizes the massive success of "Dominos" by applying aspects of its memorable formula throughout the album's 10 tracks.
"Future This" opens with "Stay Gold," a track that seems to pull equally from "Dominos" and MGMT's breakout single "Time to Pretend."
This time, the soaring vocals from the chorus of "Dominos" are present for the entire song and it works like a charm. "Stay Gold" is an almost guaranteed hit single around the world.
"Stay Gold" is followed by "Hit the Ground (Superman)" which uses an almost identical vocal, complete with a memorable sing-along chorus.
Combined, The Big Pink offers up one of the most powerful one-two punch album openings in many years. However, the drive for hit singles eventually begins to remove much of the variety that made "A Brief History of Love" a unique listening experience.
Although they may oversaturate the ears with indie anthem melodies, The Big Pink's strongest quality on their debut album was their beat making ability and on "Future This," they get even better.
"Give It Up" has a west coast hip hop quality to it that will likely turn the heads of many rappers looking for a high-quality sample. There are even a few faster-paced numbers like "Jump Music" and "Lose Your Mind" that could make their way into the club scene without the need for a remix.
With "Future This," The Big Pink has proven they are much more than a one-hit wonder and have released their most enjoyable record to date. However, the question of where they can go from here begs to be asked.
They have found their winning sound, but bands eventually need to evolve to survive.
In the meantime, don't be surprised if The Big Pink begins showing up in commercials throughout the year at a rate similar to what The Black Keys or Foster the People did in 2011.
Track Suggestion: "Stay Gold"
