Dead Furies came to my attention a few years ago when they released their second album ‘Rock City a Go Go’ which utilized a font reminiscent of the Hellacopters. With their 4th album, the band continue to expand their sound while maintaining the heart of the band. This finds them continuing to turn the corner into a classic rock band with the tempos a little slower. That may turn a few people away, but the band has continued to develop as songwriters, and the diversity makes it a rewarding listen without the band going through the motions of repeating themselves. The album title even gives a nice nod of the hat to the Rolling Stones. With all that in mind, let’s get into what makes ‘Midnight Ramble’ the next excellent release for the Dead Furies.
Kicking off with ‘Let’s Get Loaded’ really works for the album as the guitar and tempo feel a bit restrained and set up an engaging and catchy chorus. Ardo Fury (vocals/ guitars) has a really distinct voice that makes the band immediately identifiable for me. Increasing the tempo with ‘Follow You,’ the band channels some great 70’s style hard rock with a straight forward chorus that gives way back to the catchy riff that starts the song. The vocals in the verses are sang over just the bass (Robert Fury) and drums (Erik Fury). ‘Mesozoic Rock’ continues the classic rock attack with a chorus that kind of goes back to the stone age in its simplicity. I personally love how the tempo increases after the second chorus and allows Robert’s bass to get some time to shine during the break.
Approaching the middle of the album, the band is firing on all cylinders with ‘Gold Digger.’ The musical intro gives plenty of space in the mix which sets up the first verse where Ardo takes control. Musically, this is one where I can feel the band channeling great bits from the likes of Jetboy and L.A. Guns. Closing out the first half of the album is the hard rocking ‘9 to 5’ where I am reminded of the likes of late 80’s L.A. band the Little Kings crossed with a bit of punk n roll.
Flipping the figurative vinyl over to side b, we are presented with the uniquely titled ‘Candlewax on a 7.’’ The band slow it back down with the focus on a groove that works extremely well. The breakdown in the song works its way into the guitar solo. At over four and a half minutes, the band doesn’t rush anything here and is more powerful because of it. ‘She Said, She Said’ comes to life sounding like Johnny Thunders crossed with a bit of the U.K. Subs. The worst thing about this song is that it is only about two minutes long. In these early listens, this one might be my favorite across the album. It gives way to the acoustic ‘Lady Jane’ that again reminds me of Thunders with touches of the Velvet Underground. It serves as a reminder that the Furies are really settled into the classic rock stylings of the 70’s here with this song sounding different from anything they have done.
Getting into the end of the album, ‘Please Tell Me Now’ gets us back into full rock mode with the electric guitars coming to life. This one reminds me more of their past albums with a slightly cleaner production. ‘Red Wine & Alone Time’ serves as a the perfect six minute finale as it truly takes us on a journey from its slower beat at the start to the noisy end. It serves as another great example of a band that continues to naturally evolve their sound. The groove here ends the album on an absolute high.
The Dead Furies are now four albums into a career where they have continued an ongoing evolution and given us fans something new to enjoy with every album. Ardo and I chatted about some of the influences for this album after I wrote this review, and I have to say they are not obvious as those influences sometimes come across through subtle nuances. Right now, I am enjoying this album on a whole more than ‘Stay Gold’ even if there isn’t a song here that connects with me quite as much as ‘Cowboys and Indians’ from that album.
‘Midnight Ramble’ is available now.
Author: Gerald Stansbury
Recent Comments