Search - Future of the Left :: Curses

Battered art punk with gallows humor and gleeful agression

George a Pletz | Central PA, USA | 02/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not going to pretend that I would have found this if Mclusky hadn't insinuated itself into my collection in the late 90s/early 00s. I was seriously bummed when they broke up. They were the last true noise rock band to make it in before I started to slide towards middle age (or maybe it was Les Savy Fav.). I mean this reminds me why I listened to all those AmRep or early Matador records. Just on the chance it would be as cool and crazy as this. The influences come thick and heavy yet fast and furious enough to blow all comparisons away. (There is some cool David Yow/John Lydon/Black Francis vocal turns going on here!) So yeah Albini's paws are all over this (even if he's not the producer). And yes the lyrics are pitch black comedy delivered in a style which is human and agressive without falling into that phony macho posturing which ruined music with guitars this jagged and basslines that sound like a cross between garbage compactor and dying aircraft. Don't get me wrong this is not simply a rehash of prior glories. The addition of new wave/no wave keyboards/piano bits and some odd accepello accents show that the band are their own thing. Check out "Manchasm", "Suddenly It's a Folk Song", "Real Men Hunt in Packs", and "adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood" to get a clue to see what this Welsh trio is about. This is not some nu-metal slop! This stuff is catchy without making you feel like it is a guilty pleasure. There is a real quirk factor going on here without turning into a joke. A nice undercurrent of punk keeps it all going. If you dug the other stuff, you'll love it. If you are new, I must admit I am unsure what to say. If you have a dark streak, a sense of humor (absurd and otherwise), and remember the noisy 90s when heavy didn't mean stupid or mechanical posturing, give it a spin. These guys are in rare company. There is almost nobody doing this stuff anymore. Keep it coming guys."

Sausage On A Stick!!!

Aurgasm Addict | Awesome Town, FL | 12/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Absolutely brilliant record! If you liked McLusky, you will love Future Of The Left... simple as that. FOTL takes all of the insane moments of McLusky and stretches it farther to cover even more of the record. There's rarely a point to catch your breath on this album. Lyrics are bizarre and the music is intense. It's hard to tell whether this is a good band on bad drugs or a bad band on good drugs. Ha! I know they're not a bad band, but hopefully you catch my drift. Definitely in the Top 5 for my Albums of 2007! If you've read this far, I highly suggest that you buy this record! Feel free to comment after you've heard it."

38 minutes in a chicken's nightmare

wellwellwell | bog | 02/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Actually, the cd itself is a tad closer to 37 minutes, but I wanted to give you a taste of what Future Of The Left's torrid lyrics are like (that line coming from "Real Men Hunt In Packs"). But before anything else, I should note that it is nearly impossible to read a review for Curses without hearing about the bands which FOTL's members descend from. In fact, their cds probably come up while you search for 'Future Of The Left' here on Amazon. But out of respect for the sanctity of this band, I shall keep this review focused on this particular album and not make any rash comparisons to other bands that are, in all likelihood, different. Besides, Future Of The Left are beyond compare most days of the week.



That being said, the songs on this album are exceptionally unique and, again, unlike anything you've likely ever heard. "The Lord Hates A Coward" starts the album out with an anomalous bang, but sets the standards for heavy guitars and sardonic lyrics, themes carried boy-scoutedly throughout the album. See the 'violence solved everything' bits as example. "Plague Of Onces" continues that heavy, smashing theme while also begging the question 'why put the body where the body don't want to go?' fittingly and unreceptively. "Fingers Become Thumbs!", which was released as a single back in January of 2007 (with "Coward" and a b-side), is short, sweet and to the point, although I'm not sure what that point is. Perhaps something having to do with evolution or preg-er-nant callers. "Manchasm", a single-bound track no doubt, is a glaring tale of the hardships that Jack's cat (Colin) suffers while the band is on tour. And every minute matters. "Fxck The Countryside Alliance" in essence is self-explanatory, although it takes on a slower feel than preceding tracks, while "My Gymnastic Past" carries itself proficiently into one of music's (and history's) greatest bridges, that being the 'wave wave wave' bits; you have to hear it to believe it. "Suddenly It's A Folk Song" doesn't quite live up to its name, but is nonetheless ominous yet handsome in style. "Kept By Bees", the album's weakest hinge, is merely an appetizer to the single "Small Bones Small Bodies", the album's finest accomplishment. In other words, get ready to sink into semantics, and to sink into heaven. "Wrigley Scott" is essentially a song about wizards, elves and sausage (on a stick). It boasts a similar sound to "My Gymnastic Past", which of course is implausibly whimsical. "Real Men Hunt In Packs" is a real hidden treasure on this album; the title of this review is basically the theme of the song. Other lyrical anecdotes include '94 years in a frozen wasteland' and '25 different homes in a calendar year'. Fantastic. "Team:Seed" is like a shorter "Plague Of Onces", and thus very spectacular by nature. As a third single, "adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood" undoubtedly holds the album's greatest track name, although the song itself will blow you away further. What a song! Finally, the album's closer, "The Contrarian", is really unlike anything else on the album, as its main instrument is a robust piano--of which Falco and Kelson each contribute one hand in playing. It finishes off the album better than words (or reviewers) can describe.



In total, there is a certain arrogant understanding that you are either going to worship this album or not get it at all. But that's a chance I'm sure the band was willing to take. They promote something special: lyrical division from most, if not all, other bands out there. Lines like 'bury our bodies close to the light' and 'who put the brakes on courage?' are surely based on actual feelings and/or actual occurrences. But in the band leaving the meanings up to the listener, they have created something extraordinarily inspiring: Curses. I'm not going to say much in terms of this album being the 'album of 2007' or anything veritable and witless like that (and actually, it's only being officially released in America here in 2008). But it is certainly an album worth spoiling your milk over."