7/10
Despite naming the album 'Future Sounds', there is so much influence and inspiration on this album that can be traced back to almost fifty years ago. What Sunbear! have managed to do is create an album with all the psychedelic gloss of The Flaming Lips, add in the uplifting melodies of The Polyphonic Spree, all while listening to 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and you have an idea of how this record was birthed.
But while you can critique the origins of their sound until the end of the earth, they have still managed to add their own stamp on it and bring in a very contemporary style that fits their attitude down to a tee. The production value of 'Future Sounds' is absolutely fantastic as it works from one deeply-enriched track to the next, you feel a real sense of warmth coming from the album, which is something rarely heard these days. The odd bit of electronics and subtle eccentricities remind you of early Radiohead albums like 'OK Computer', where experimentation was the key to a well-rounded and interesting album.
It certainly is a great return for these four Floridians who seem to have found their feet with this new album, which should hopefully go a long way in fuelling their inspirations for the future.