Revisited: The Psychedelic Furs
In 1980, punk was all but dead. But in its place a new genre of music was forming. Up in Manchester Joy Division had created a new sound later known as post-punk and across Britain bands were adopting various elements of punk and adding a dose of experimentation to its basic structure.
One of those bands was The Psychedelic Furs from London. Fronted by the enigmatic Richard Butler their first album reached number 18 in the UK album charts and gave the band a voice in Europe. There is a balance on this album of aggressive and experimental music. The vocal on 'Sister Europe' the second track of the album is quite monotone and Butler's voice - although very clear and the definite centre-piece of the song - sounds quite dull. What saves the song though is that it's very intriguing, though very simple. The use the guitars is very unique and the added saxophone - an instrument overlooked by many bands of the era - creates added atmosphere.
The guitar style changed constantly throughout the album, it hides away then appears again. 'Pulse' is a track where the guitars take centre stage. It's one of the most aggressive tracks along with the opener 'India'. The guitars wail as Butler sings in a shouty style similar to that of The Fall. There are also songs that you can tell are from the post-punk era 'Wedding Song' could be a PiL song with it's experimental sounds and Lydon-esque vocal delivery.
The album is very "of the time". It was released early on in the genre's birth, but the Furs didn't invnt the wheel, although they did open the door for further experimentation, and with the addition of the saxophone, this album sounds like The Beach Boys with ten times the aggression.
7/10
Post a Comment