The Psychedelic Furs - Made of Rain (Album Review)
Tuesday, 04 August 2020
Written by Graeme Marsh
Photo: Matthew Reeves
Almost 30 years since the release of ‘World Outside’, the Psychedelic Furs are finally back with a new album. Having reformed in 2000, after going missing for most of the ‘90s, it’s taken a while for the band to produce any new music after systematically touring their catalogue for the past 20 years. But, reassuringly, there came a point where they grew tired of the old tunes. That’s where ‘Made of Rain’ enters the equation.
Originally due for a spring release, some of the album’s tracks surfaced in the meantime to whet the appetites of fans. One of them, No One, is an absolute belter. It’s moody, it’s dark, it’s atmospheric, and the rousing chorus is perfectly balanced out by Cure-style guitars that envelop the song. It is, however, the highlight by some distance.
Other tracks do impress, but without reaching the same heights. The reverb-soaked opener The Boy Who Invented Rock & Roll tells of “the druggy days, the pointless pain” alongside dramatic saxophone licks—a key element of the best moments on the album—with a finger perhaps pointing back at their youthful years.
The brooding, woodwind-peppered You’ll Be Mine is another decent cut, with Richard Butler again reiterating lost years as if shooting a warning to the darlings of today. “Don’t be surprised when all your days are yesterdays,” he sings.
The album’s opening statements then conclude with the cinematic drama of Wrong Train, another wake-up call to old age—or maybe relationship regrets. It recalls the brilliant re-emergence of a rejuvenated Suede for their recent trilogy of epic albums.
From then on, though, things are a little average. Sorrowful, dejected feelings dominate the crawling This’ll Never Be Like Love despite a vain attempt from that killer sax to lift things. And on the irritatingly repetitive Come All Ye Faithful, the chaotic sax lines are a lone plus point. Those Cure-adjacent guitars pop up again during Don’t Believe, but this time they can’t gloss over a weak song.
With ‘Made of Rain’ petering out towards its conclusion, barring the remorseful Turn Your Back On Me, it’s clear it would have benefitted from some trimming. Like so many other bands that have resurfaced, though, the Psychedelic Furs have managed to produce something admirable and far from damaging to their own legacy. It may not scale the heights of the past but it’s no dud.
The Psychedelic Furs Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue April 27 2021 - LONDON Royal Albert Hall
Wed April 28 2021 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Thu April 29 2021 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Sat May 01 2021 - GLASGOW Glasgow Barrowland
Sun May 02 2021 - LIVERPOOL O2 Academy Liverpool
Mon May 03 2021 - MANCHESTER Manchester Academy 2
Wed May 05 2021 - CAMBRIDGE Cambridge Junction
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