Suuns – Images Du Futur
After their rather impressive debut, it was always going to be interesting to see where Canadian four-piece Suuns went with their Clinic -like motorik minimalism and general disregard for genre boundaries. It’s pleasing to report then that on Images Du Futur Ben Shemie and band have avoided the temptation to channel the quasi-commercial appeal that “Arena” threatened on the debut, instead delving deep into dreamy ambience whilst still letting their indie-kraut template do the talking when required.
Coming on strong, Images Du Futur thus opens with two of the finest tracks likely to be heard this year – the first of which is also the noisiest that the LP has to offer. Trying in vain to disguise its ticking heartbeat with squalling guitar and a thoroughly clenched vocal, “Powers Of Ten” is full of post-punk tension and is truly excellent. Its immediate neighbour however – the striking “2020” – starts life as little more than a sinister creep dripping in bent guitar effects until a fuzzy beat and bass undercurrent step in to accompany Shemie’s whispery lyrics.
This arty marriage of restrained noise, dreamy beats and percussive atmosphere sets the tone for the remainder of the album, yet – as per its predecessor Zeroes QC – expect deviations. The snarling feedback that introduces “Mirror Mirror”, for example, then gives way to a vintage psyche-rock stomp decorated with fluttery synth arpeggios all delivered with a decidedly indie bent. The rhythmic post-punker “Bambi” is flat-out defined by its harsh snare cracks and meandering guitar echo, whereas the melodic synth buzz of “Minor Work” is given curious choral texture thanks to backing vocals. Unfortunately, it’s also probably longer than it needs to be at nearly 6 minutes.
Thankfully, the majority of Images Du Futur is more economical, but its largely intangible run-in does seem perhaps a little too abstract in comparison to earlier standouts. All the same, there’s much to enjoy here and Suuns’ return can be seen as triumphant, further cementing the band as one of the more original and interesting around.
Advised downloads: “Powers Of Ten” and “2020”.
~Images Du Futur is released March 4th 2013 on Secretly Canadian .~
[sic] review: Suuns – Zeroes QC