Futique - the combination of Future and Antique meaning to live fully in the present moment before it fades into a distant memory
The album opens with ‘A Little Love’, which Simon Neil describes as a song about the depth and resilience of love even through hard times, a sentiment that reflects the band’s own enduring bond.
Glossy and melodic, it leans more towards the pop mainstream than much of their earlier work, the kind of track you could easily picture in a car or perfume commercial, yet it still feels fresh and exciting. Perhaps a futique moment for me came when I first heard it blasting through the speakers at Rock Im Park in their promo piece, something that stuck with me and built even more anticipation for their festival set.
[image credit: Vinyl - Adam G]
Following this softer opening, ‘Hunting Season’ shifts gears entirely, far punchier and full throttle, with that raw intensity that feels akin to their earlier work and a reminder that Biffy’s trademark fire still flares beneath the polish of their ever evolving sound.
As for ‘Shot One’, I’m not yet sure what to make of it on first listen. It didn’t immediately grab me in the way some of the previous tracks did, but it feels like the kind of song that could grow on me with time, the sort that reveals its appeal more after a few listens.
‘True Believer’ then picks back up with some of the intensity of ‘Hunting Season’, not quite to the same degree but enough to carry the momentum forward. The lines “Do you want to live forever? … find a future worth your while” stuck with me, tying directly into the heart of Futique and its message of cherishing the present while always reaching for what comes next.
‘Goodbye’ takes it back a notch, and at this point in the album it feels like the right move. It opens almost as a bittersweet soliloquy to a breakup, questioning why it even mattered in the first place, “goodbye forever”, but beneath the surface there is a sense of a wider farewell, perhaps even an intention of departing from the world, a farewell not just to one person, but to everyone. I found myself playing it back immediately, as it felt like the album might already be ending, and for a moment it even made me worry it could be the end of Biffy, though I very much am certain that is not the case.
However I discovered this was a feeling that echoed what the band themselves admitted in a recent Kerrang! interview, where they spoke about flirting with the idea of breaking up after burnout from their 2022 run of shows and two huge lockdown records. Futique now feels like the answer to that moment of doubt, a reawakening that proves they are not done yet. Happier and more present than they’ve been in years, Biffy sound like a band stepping into a new chapter rather than closing one.
Following ‘Friendshipping’, a track that didn’t quite stick with me in the same way as others, ‘Woe Is Me Wow Is You’ immediately struck me with its sense of defiance. Simon’s delivery of lines like “this ship is built to last” and “stick it out, stick it out” feels like a refusal to let go, as though breaking the band up was never truly an option. The line “this is too special” is the most powerful here, carrying the weight of everything they have built together. When the rest of the band join in, echoing those words, it transforms into a statement of unity. Taken in the wider context of their recent struggles, it plays like a refusal to entertain the idea of breaking up, instead stepping away from that gloomy period and moving into a new era, stronger than before
The closer, ‘Two People In Love’, ends on a note that feels almost like a jam session, especially in its last two minutes. There’s a defiant energy in the way the band come together, and I can easily picture them playing live gathered around one another living fully in the moment. Embellishing a lasting futique moment, a reminder of why this band works best when they are on a united front.
Having considered the context behind this record, I’m simply glad Biffy have come through that difficult spell and channelled it into something that feels alive again. I look forward to whatever future releases may bring, and even more to seeing them take these songs to the stage. My only hope is that this new spark of life doesn’t fade out once the tour is done, but instead drives them to keep creating, pushing, and proving why they’re still one of the best out there. MON THE BIFF.
Album Review: Futique by Biffy Clyro