FUTURE OF THE LEFT –
TRAVELS WITH MYSELF AND ANOTHER (4AD)
It takes a certain
person of a certain demeanour to spew out such a frenzied delivery of bouncing
clean expletives. As a result you
cannot help but connect immediately with such abandon. And this comes from a person that apparently
suffers from abandonment issues according to a certain Californian
lesbian. Unlike Mclusky I like this
band. Whereas the Grange Hill felt like
a lot of hot air about nothing, this band feels realised and accomplished. Their sound is rounded and for once a UK
band actually manages to tap into and achieve the noisy guitar sound that
generally only US indie rock bands can muster.
British bands that sound like this never make it but at least Future Of
The Left is giving it a bloody good attempt.
The album opens in
frenetic fashion that reminds of Drive Like Jehu before the fuzzy intensity of
offensive bass playing adds a rare weapon to the band’s armoury, an element
seldom seen in the genre. By this stage
the order of the day feels very much that of Girls Against Boys.
This record pulsates
like a well oiled machine.
For track 3 they
display the wacky side of dark humour with “The Hope That House Built”. It’s a plodding number that exhibits a set
of vocals and sensibilities akin to Jello Biafra. Whether that is what’s need at this time is another question but
certainly its relatively unique to this outfit. And ultimately tracks championing a “hopeless cause” will always
be something to appeal to a certain demographic.
Future Of The Left is
a band that offers a surprising variety of sounds even if their influence and
origins are relatively obvious and clear.
For example on “Land Of My Formers” the opening baseline is clearly that
of The Jesus Lizard and that is a tremendous thing.
The pick of the
onslaught are the tracks “I Am Civil Service” and “You Need Satan More Than He
Needs You”. In the first instance the
band is positively charging in a most effective manner crushing the head of the
listener with hard guitars lines and equally tough lyrics such as “if I eat
what I fuck and if I fuck what I eat, am I worthy?” all in the style of great
lost UK bands such as Ligament and Macrocosmica. Then the latter track is one long crazed
pounding rant more robotic than rock.
It’s a truly horrific interlude.
The variety maintains
with the garage rock of “Stand By Your Manatee” followed by the wholesale lift
of “Saints”
by The Breeders on “Yin / Post Yin” (a very Fall song title in itself).
“Drink Nike” is fun
anti accepted convention slam that expresses a sarcastic confusion and half
hearted dismay towards people and an attitude that will never change. Its nailing their flag to the mast of the
alternative nation but is there enough for it?
If Future Of The Left
are someone’s favourite band that’s great.
Thesaurus moment:
other.
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