Beneath the stomping, sludgy noise rock of Several Futures lies a beating pop heart. The Toronto trio’s new LP possesses a certain timelessness, though fans of late 80s underground American guitar bands will find themselves transported back to one of the most exciting eras of fuzzed-out, musical abandon.
The most obvious touchstone is Sonic Youth, specifically their 1988 landmark, Daydream Nation. Though never short on hooks, that record served as a crossover effort for a band harnessing their distorted ferocity into some of their most -infectious, classic songs. Several Futures are in that same mental space, successfully finding a balance between loose storms of caterwauling punk power and solid, compelling structure.
With its quiet-loud-quiet (but mostly loud) dynamic, Welcome To Fear City exemplifies the band’s ability to keep us stoked about where a song might go next. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Nish-Lapidus is a whiz of a singer, shifting moods with his phrasing and delivery, particularly on side B’s Lost Dreams suite. Compelling stuff.
Top track: Cul De Sac
Several Futures throw an album release party at CineCycle Saturday (February 6). See listing.
