With a ‘Kapital’ K

Handsome Furs’ new album “Sound Kapital” shares more than a few of the characteristics of the band’s last two efforts.

All three are roughly the same length, have similarly didactic titles and all sound pretty much the same.

There is a formula brewing with the duo’s new album.  

Unfortunately, it seems to have been taken as far as it can go with all their flair and authenticity squeezed out of their synthesizer, drum machine and guitar.
“Sound Kapital” recycles many of the same tactics as “Plague Park,” featuring lead singer Dan Boekner’s patented swoon and straight-forward rock ‘n’ roll songwriting underlined by the march of Alexi Perry’s (Boekner’s band mate and wife) electronic beats and keyboard lines.

Songs such as “Damage” and the album opener “When I Get Back” find the Furs exploring a more pop-oriented sound that’s almost something you’d hear on a Top-40 station.

There’s no denying “Sound Kapital” shows the group more defined than ever, headed towards a lighter and more danceable direction; especially since Handsome Furs doesn’t feel like a major departure from Boekner’s main act, Wolf Parade. Fans of Wolf Parade may want to just stick to their album “Apologies to the Queen Mary” though.

Also, compared to Boekner’s band mate turned solo artist, Spencer Krug, Handsome Furs feels like an old hat.

Still, “Sound Kapital” is most definitely worth a listen and is a great album for fans of the band’s past work.

By Aaron Bragg
adbragg@umail.iu.edu