On their 2009 debut, A Brief History of Love, London electro-rockers the Big Pink surveyed the ups, downs and sideways stagnancy of romantic relationships. Songs such as "Dominos" tumbled with grace and hooks. On the follow-up, Milo Cordell and Robbie Furze expand their worldview, taking in and soaking up their surroundings.

Future This is all about new sounds and new ideas, but as their name (taken from the Band's 1968 iconic first album) lets on, they're also indebted to the past. On the album's opener and best cut "Stay Gold," Furze calls for universal happiness over rolling drums and crashing synths. It's hippie aesthetics applied to new-wave influences. Future This isn't as forward-thinking as it thinks or implies, but it rarely turns away from the Big Pink's tuneful instincts, whether they're pop, indie or hip hop.

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