Biffy Clyro // Futique

With a little love, Biffy Clyro returns

★★★☆☆ (3.5/5)

ALBUM ARTWORK

Biffy Clyro remains one of the most special bands to emerge from the adolescent haze of the early 2000s. Having started under the sludgy banner of post-grunge the band embraced the alt-rock scene on breakthrough album “Puzzle” before embracing arena-spanning sounds while still retaining their penchant for fun time signatures and undeniably heavy soundscapes.

But this constant reinvention has not been without sacrifice, as the band have maintained a superhuman release schedule to keep the music flowing to fans. It’s little surprise then that the band finally hit the pause button after the critically acclaimed sister albums “A Celebration of Endings” and “The Myth of the Happily Ever After”. In fact, going by their titles fans may have worried that Biffy were ready to call it a day altogether. These fears deepened when frontman Simon Neil released material under a new act in the form of Empire State Bastard. An uncompromisingly raw project which saw Neil strip away the anthemic elements to embrace metal and hardcore punk.

Thankfully this did not spell the end as the band returned to live shows, celebrating their much-loved first three albums, before releasing a lead single to start their new era.

Being their tenth release, Futique acts as an inflection point. Seeing the band introspective as they ponder the bonds they have forged over nearly twenty-five years together. Themes of love and betrayal are prominent, while the band remain as locked in as ever.

Opening track, and lead single, “A Little Love” bounds along while laying out the broad thesis heard across the album. Framing the band's tensions as a potential divorce, they state that with love and unity, the band can navigate through anything that comes their way.

“Hunting Season” and “True Believer” add some visceral punch to the first half of the album. Harking back to the polished but hungry sound of the previous two albums Biffy deliver their distinctive blend of feral riffage with soaring choruses that are ready-made for arenas.

The intriguing “Shot One“ moodily veers into a darker synth sound which proves to be a standout track of the album. A comparatively downbeat chorus succeeds in contrasting the usual epic style seen on the rest of the album.

Emotions continue to run high on “Goodbye” which proves to be one of the most vulnerable explorations on the album. Bidding farewell through a downpour of heartbreak, and lamenting the loss before delivering a powerful musical and emotional breakdown through the outro.

Futique is an album of two halves, right down to its name which is a combination of future and antique. And while the first half is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, with the perfect amount of familiarity while still experimenting and pushing what the band is capable of, once the band runs out of steam going into the second half they struggle to reach these heights again.

Which is a shame as the content and sounds explored on tracks such as “Friendshipping” and “Dearest Amygdala” are fertile ground, but stop shy of the mark. The band do rally on closer “Two People in Love” which ends the album in a suitably epic fashion. As the final notes end, the listener has been taken on an intimate look through the emotional triumphs and turmoils that come from decades-long relationships.

Biffy Clyro remain one of the biggest names in alt-rock and Futique shows that they can still deliver thoroughly rousing tracks which resonate emotionally for years to come.

See the band on tour in 2026: TOUR DATES

REVIEW BY: Sam McNaughton