I've only recently started listening to the Krug/Boeckner camp of bands, and I'm giving each one of them a listen, that's right each one. Should be awhile before I finish. Anyway, my first impressions of Boeckner's side-project 'Handsome Furs' where he's accompannied by his fiance Alexei Perry, were that it was just a bit mediocre. Aside from 'Sing! Captain' nothing really stood out, and even Boeckner's primitive howl started to bore me.
Then I gave it another listen. And yup, it grew on me. Lyrically it's superb - I love Boeckner's disdain for technology and the modern world, since really I wish life was a bit simpler. In 'Handsome Furs Hate This City', he growls repeatedly 'we hate this city and its drone', but while lyrically it may have grabbed me, unfortunately most of the songs still sound lethargic and lacking in variety. Stuffed with processed drum loops, Postal Service like synths and fuzzy reverberating guitar, Plague Park sounds rawer than Apologies To The Queen Mary but just, well, empty in comparison. 'What We Had' is a great alternative romp but it needs Krug's energy, while 'Hearts of Iron' simply needs a song. But the aforementioned 'Sing! Captain' is ripe with gorgeous, hushed acoustic licks and shows Boeckner's individual talent.
Then I gave it another listen. And yup, it grew on me. Lyrically it's superb - I love Boeckner's disdain for technology and the modern world, since really I wish life was a bit simpler. In 'Handsome Furs Hate This City', he growls repeatedly 'we hate this city and its drone', but while lyrically it may have grabbed me, unfortunately most of the songs still sound lethargic and lacking in variety. Stuffed with processed drum loops, Postal Service like synths and fuzzy reverberating guitar, Plague Park sounds rawer than Apologies To The Queen Mary but just, well, empty in comparison. 'What We Had' is a great alternative romp but it needs Krug's energy, while 'Hearts of Iron' simply needs a song. But the aforementioned 'Sing! Captain' is ripe with gorgeous, hushed acoustic licks and shows Boeckner's individual talent.
All in all, it's a solid album that's best listened to after midnight in a lonely towering block of flats. Music for the chronically disaffected.
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