Pitchfork

Finally, they catch their breath. After an album and several singles of all allegro, all the time, "Skip to the End" is the Futureheads' first bona fide slow jam. Suffice it to call the song's stomp-tastic rock backbeat and serrated, halfway-in-the-pocket guitar swagger the stuff of tour de force, but the only a cappella group that matters keeps its harmonies on 24-hour call. Barry Hyde barely makes it through two lines before getting ambushed by his Ricola-dropping mates, who spot the guitars on a couple chords. During the verses-- snare-less suspension bridges unaccoutred save rim clicks and the monstrous vocals-- is probably the softest you'll hear these guys but, you know, big stick...The temptation's going to be to give this, News & Tributes' first official single, major New Direction readings. More likely it's just the cooled-out obligatory post-Houston nod; I hear they're cooking up a collaboration with Foxx, too.