The Montreal-based duo Handsome Furs formed in 2005 around the talents of Vancouver transplants Dan Boeckner (frontman of Wolf Parade) and Alexei Perry. The husband-and-wife team released the atmospheric Plague Park in 2007, utilizing drum machines and world-weary melodies to distinguish the band's debut from Wolf Parade's own output. Plague Park earned accolades for its electronic twist on indie rock, with Rolling Stone likening the band to "a dingy version of the Cure rocking some hipster dive bar," and the growing buzz prompted Handsome Furs' return to the studio in late 2007. The inspired duo recorded Face Control drawing upon its recent Eastern European tour for lyrical cues. I got a kick of placing Vladimir Putin on the back cover and a snarling, frothing at the mouth doberman pinscher on the front.
On Sound Kapital, they return with a naked lady with tattoos on her naughty parts. I don't know what this has to do with the album, but it's deviously attention-getting. This album differs from the previous one in that they drop some of the more obvious 80s sounding synths and the songs are more varied. It's also cohesive from start to finish and a real head-bopper. It's fun and the perfect soundtrack to the start of summer!
Take a listen to What About Us, a deep cut that catches my ear here.
Buy your copy of Sound Kapital here.
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