Like his Wolf Parade cohort Spencer Krug, Dan Boeckner is one of those disgustingly prolific musicians who seem to churn out interesting side projects in their sleep. Handsome Furs is the band that the Montreal man formed with his wife Alexei Perry in 2005, and although their debut album of 2007 ('Plague Park') hardly made a dent on the indie world's collective consciousness, it was lucrative enough to warrant a follow-up.
'Face Control' should really have been released before now, too; apparently, its delay was caused by legalities surrounding a reference to New Order in the song 'All We Want, Baby, Is Everything' (incidentally, the album's standout track). It's not only that song that's referential of New Order, either: the combination of rhythmic beats, lingering synths and rocky guitar riffs throughout this album are distinctly, err, Sumnerian in technique.
There's a 21st century edge to proceedings occasionally too, though with plenty of glitch-filled club remix numbers like 'Legal Tender' and 'Nyet Spasiba' updating the late '80s/early '90s vibe surrounding much of 'Face Control', while 'I'm Confused' even manages to thrust '70s CBGBs-style punk through a contemporary filter.
Will this album be hailed as one of Boeckner's masterpieces in 50 years' time? Probably not. For now, though, it's a likeable incursion into electronica that swaggers, pouts and throws shapes over the course of 37 enjoyable minutes.
