Muso's Guide - Displaying items by tag: Bella Union

Ezra Furman - Transangelic Exodus

13 February, 2018
Published in Albums

Ezra Furman has released his latest album with Bella Union. Transangelic Exodus is a new landmark for this American singer-songwriter. In this new album Furman shifts away from the punk, soul, garage feel of 2015's Perpetual Motion People, which Furman describes as the end of a chapter:

“My previous records were original in their own way, but got classified as an off-kilter version of a retro band” and for this new record “wanted something that sounded more original” and to mark this transformation his backing band has been newly christened; The Boy-Friends are dead, long live The Visions.

Transangelic Exodus is a diverse theatrical journey. The sounds of riot shields and Furman’s sharp tongue build you up ready for a fight, then lay you down with feelings of hopelessness in the face of the inevitable: “we’re moving furniture in a burning house”.

Although Furman has departed from his restless manic energy and rage, his musical DNA remains intact – a thrilling, literate form of garage-punk rooted in The Velvet Underground, Jonathan Richman and '50s rock’n’roll. The mood of Transangelic Exodus is: “paranoid, authoritarian, the way certain people are stigmatised. It’s a theme in American life right now, and other so-called democracies.” With a long history of punk spirit and speaking his mind, in this new album, we find Furman has chosen to stay out of this currently politically saturated climate. Furman’s only statement in the current political arena is in the first track of the album, ‘suck the blood from my wounds’ quoting Mercucio, as he screams “a plague on both your houses”.

“The narrative thread,” Furman declares, “is I’m in love with an angel, and a government is after us, and we have to leave home because angels are illegal.” Although Furman states that this is “Not a concept record, but almost a novel, or a cluster of stories on a theme, a combination of fiction and a half-true memoir” parallels can be drawn between the themes of this new album and Furman’s sexuality, which has been an ongoing journey throughout his music career and also his Jewish faith, which is addressed on the record.

The odd cut and paste method of recording, sometimes has you asking whether certain tones were on purpose, and sections of the percussion can be quite grating, but all and all this is a very diverse album, which has a hit and a miss to cover all tastes. Notable bangers on this album include ‘God lifts up the lowly’ a stripped back shivery ballad, Jorgen Jorgensen’s cello and Furman’s voice are calming and reassuring, ‘Psalm 151’ a rolling power ballad, and the playfully syncopated pop track ‘I lost my innocence’ which closes the album.

Crossing between love, gender, sexuality and religion, and singing in solidarity with the innocent, persecuted, oppressed and threatened, Ezra Furman has soundtracked the current fear and loathing across America, while always pushing ahead with his own agenda.

Find out more about Ezra Furman here.

Lift To Experience, Summerhall, Edinburgh

22 August, 2017
Published in Live

Image:- Julia Stryj

In preparation for tonight's show I played Lift To Experience's (seminal?) album The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads for the first time in over a decade. It made little impact on me, which is probably why I played it so infrequently when I actually owned it. Frontman Josh T. Pearson has a legion of devotees I know but I've zero idea of what he's done in the years since that album came out although he was recently described to me as a sub-Father John Misty type preacher so I think I've a reasonable idea.

Support tonight turned out to be provided by Meursault, a seemingly handy occurrence as I’d never yet heard their more folky sound or seen them since their recent reformation. Technically, however, I’d say I still haven’t seeing as onstage there was only a dour, acoustic duo of Neil Pennycook and a violinist. There was a good amount of dry wit forthcoming, blether about Charlie Brown and sentiments about sea songs with which most there seemed to agree with but, given the oppressive heat of the hall, this wasn’t the greatest set to stand through.

Still, as Pennycook himself was well aware, Lift To Experience were everyone’s reason for shelling out £30+ to swelter so he did his bit with aplomb & vacated the stage on time. Only for the headliners to unfortunately be a bit late & then suffer some technical issues through the first couple of songs. Doubly frustrating from them and Lee from Leeds as they’d spent a couple of hours prior working on perfecting the sound in the hall and ensuring their transported equipment married up with Summerhall’s electrics.

A working Leslie pedal was though duly installed and the trio’s sound, already decently loud and defined, gained a further edge to put it in front of that heard on the album. Whilst Pearson’s vocals were largely lost in the music that was easily made up for with the sonically invigorating sounds produced by the group’s evident hard work. All three consistently looked like they were in their element and never happier than when onstage.

Between songs Pearson had a very engaging line in banter, clearly understanding the Edinburgh/Glasgow cheek he came out with rather than parroting someone else’s suggestion, along with honest & unique chat aside from that. Selfies (or “handjobs”) with the crowd and the band’s steer skull mascot were taken prior to the final song of the album set, rounding out one of the best atmosphere’s I’ve seen at a show in a long time.

Pearson returned to do a one man encore of ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ which saw a decent number of audience members singing along before he graciously and gratefully called an end to the proceedings. I still don’t see myself rating The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads highly as an album but as a live experience it’s in a different league.