The Lucid Furs – Damn! That Was Easy
Release Date: 29th October 2021
Label: Argonauta Records
Pre-Order
Genre: Heavy Blues Rock
FFO: Blues Pills, Mountain, The Vintage Caravan.
Review By: Kenny Newall
Ah, Argonauta Records. This is the 3rd or 4th of their roster that has hit my inbox and I know it’s going to be a band I’ve probably never heard of, but will most definitely be pleased to meet. And The Lucid Furs continue to be just such. More or less.
The thing with the Detroit band’s third album, Damn! That Was Easy is that as a first impression, I’d have rather become acquainted with their first album. Or their second which is just as good. Really good actually. Heavy blues heaven. But this time round, understandably the band are experimenting a little with elements that meerkated their way into previous songs, but are now taking the lion’s share on certain tracks. More dynamics, funkier, slightly different production away from the murkier Deep Purple to the lighter Led Zeppelin sound. They’re still heavy blues, still worth the while, but it feels that the song writing quality has suffered some in the search to stretch their sound. (Slightly ironic for me personally as I prefer Zeppelin to Purple).
Slightly ironically also considering what I just wrote is that the funkier than previous Five Finger Disco and Conscious are two of the standout tracks. As is the far more traditional blues of the video track below, Another Page. A grower I didn’t realise was building to the guitar solo where it delivered an unexpected gem. In fact the solos throughout are the perfect serve the song noodlings of a guitarist that knows what notes need to go where, owning the ground between the one note Neil Young and the Ritchie Blackmore fireworks.
As well as the solos that have always been a feature, we still have the Joplinesque slower take (Lying Again), the head nodder (Straight To My Head), but completely new is sublime closer, A One Time Investment, a Days Of The New, reminiscent acoustic ditty. It’s an investment that has certainly gained some interest from me, worthy of many shares and though it’ll probably never generate a huge market share in the overcrowded rock arena, it nevertheless allows me to indulge in bad word play and will hopefully not be a one time thing. An EPs worth would be extra welcome.
The problem with Damn! compared to their previous brace of full lengths, though, is that another new element is filler. Right On My Level is growing on me it must be said, but more because it has passages that entertain and Pull The String is a bit like pull my finger. It doesn’t stink as such, but I’d rather not. Still, most albums have filler and Damn! is recommended. Their previous pair of full lengths even more so. Which is one of the glories of discovering a new band; the back catalogue.
(Miscellaneous Thoughts: Follow Me features the same riff as Holy Soldier’s We Are Young, We Are Strong and the drum intro strongly reminds me song I frustratingly can’t quite place – The debut had 7 tracks, the sophomore 8 and yes, Damn! has 9 – The Another Page video is one of the best takes on a lyric video I’ve seen. Low budget needn’t stifle creativity).
(3.5 / 5)
