Future Teens - Self Help

Label: Triple Crown Records Released: 23rd September 2022

There’s no magic formula to writing the perfect indie-pop song, but Boston’s Future Teens have come as close to anyone of discovering such alchemy, with Amy Hoffman and Co. seemingly having an endless well of “mental health bangers” to draw upon.

Front and centre of ‘Self Help’ is Amy’s journey to sobriety, which rings loud and clear on cuts like ‘BYOB’ and ‘Well Enough’. Bruising and honest, there’s nevertheless a sense of hope and optimism, and Future Teens’ ability to marry these heavy themes with perky, crowd-friendly indie-pop songs remains peerless. Equally, Future Teens may have embraced the label ‘bummer pop’, but such a description does a disservice to just how great a pop band they are. Sure, they go to some dark places, but a sense of fun underpins every song. It means that while ‘Self Help’ may be heavy thematically, it’s also chock-full of contagious punk-lite indie-pop hits.

Future Teens remain the undisputed champions of writing indie-pop songs with depth, heart and sincerity, and ‘Self Help’ is another high-standard knockout. ■ Rob Mair