Ezra Furman - Perpetual Motion People (Album Review)
Wednesday, 08 July 2015
Written by Laura Johnson
Rarely has artistic development been as apparent as it is on ‘Perpetual Motion People’, the new record from the prolific Ezra Furman. Writing in the Guardian recently, the Chicagoan thanked Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground for opening a door in his head during his youth. Well, thank god they came-a-knocking.
What flows out of his mind here is a stream of utter brilliance. So much so, in fact, that there are times where Furman seems barely able to keep up with his own train of thought. It’s in these moments, when he teeters on the cusp of letting it all fall apart only to bring it together again in a sort of ramshackle, triumphant fanfare, that it soars.
Restless Year, the lead single, will undoubtedly be a summer anthem for many. It has a winning formula: upbeat singalong appeal, punk breakdown, lyrics with hidden depth and some “oooh la oooh” back-ups thrown in for good measure. Lousy Connection, similarly, challenges anyone not to doo wop along.
Wobbly, which will get toes tapping, addresses gender fluidity, a topic Furman also discussed in his Guardian piece: “I am proud to exist in an ambiguous, undecided state.”
Hour Of Deepest Need changes the mood, slowing things down to a maudlin pace as he sings the opening line: “I think it’s time you brought your face across the railroad to my place. I can’t share this whisky with ya through the phone.”
Throughout the record, Furman’s words are as clever as the accompaniment. On Haunted Head, he sings: “I’m having too much fun, my arm’s around the toilet like a long lost chum, I’m kneeling at the throne. I’m stricken deaf and dumb. I’m learning what it means to really pray.”
One Day I Will Sin No More is a bold, back to basics ending. Stripping things down to just Furman and a guitar, singing what sounds like a hymn, it draws to a close an outstanding album that, despite having clear influences from the ‘50s and ‘60s, defies genre. If he continues like this, as he says “independent, continually transforming, free”, rock’n’roll will be all the better for having a cliche-free champion once again.
Ezra Furman Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon October 19 2015 - BELFAST Limelight 2
Tue October 20 2015 - DUBLIN Workmans Club
Wed October 21 2015 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Thu October 22 2015 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
Sat November 14 2015 - BRISTOL THE FLEECE
Sun November 15 2015 - LIVERPOOL Arts Club
Mon November 16 2015 - MANCHESTER Gorilla
Tue November 17 2015 - GLASGOW Art School
Wed November 18 2015 - NOTTINGHAM Nottingham Glee Club
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