‘Your body is yours at the end of the day, and don’t let the hateful try and take it away’ – Ezra Furman’s «Perpetual Motion People» takes you on a journey
Ezra Furman & The Boyfriends’ second LP, and first release to London’s Bella Union, ‘Perpetual Motion People’ takes you on a journey through Furman’s thoughts and emotions, through his expressive lyrics and unique mix of sound.
Listening through the record almost feels like listening to a musical, in all the best ways. Theatrical and cinematic, with tracks like ‘Lousy Connection’ and ‘Haunted Head’, he brings a unique mix of punk, pop, real rock and roll, and do-wop vocals together to make something truly magical and entirely original.
Citing The New York Dolls and Lou Reed as a few of his major influences, you can definitely hear that spirit in his music. He’s so free and real in the way he sings and writes. Vocally, he has moments reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright due to his strength and clarity. With such witty, poetic lyrics, listening to each song projects a very cinematic experience into your mind.
‘Hark! To The Music’ has an almost Wes Anderson vibe in the fast-talking, anthem-esque nature of the track. ‘If the turntable still starts / you can teach me how to waltz’, one of his lines from ‘Hour Of Deepest Need’ and ‘we can’t fit in so we just head for the fringes’, are a few of my favorite lines on the album. He knows how to paint a picture with his words, bringing you into a place purely of his creation.
An amazing rollercoaster of sounds, vibing on super fun choruses, punk energies, early rock and roll melodies, and a few almost power ballads, the record is stellar all the way through. Ending with ‘One Day I Will Sin No More’, an acoustic song leaning toward the more folky side of the spectrum, the chill track helps bring the album to an end, leaving you on a mellow note.
Each song on the record is wonderful in its own way, each telling a unique story from the depths of Ezra’s soul.
Ezra will be playing an exclusive show at the Cord Club in Munich on July 22 – don’t miss out on this! A few tickets are still available here or at the doors on the day of the show.
