Altsounds - Future Of The Left

This debut album from Cardiff-based (yet sort-of exiles) Future Of The Left was released back in late 2007, but I see that no review has yet been posted which is a crime for such a fantastic album.

After reading a few reviews about this record, it seems standard to mention the bands whose ashes formed Future Of The Left, so let’s get that out of the way early on – Mclusky & Jarcrew. Done, now forget any opinions or expectations that you have of these bands. I say this because all too often great bands are overlooked or underrated simply because they do not sound like previous incarnations. I myself am guilty of this upon instantly being disappointed by Audioslave, but looking back I can see what a great band they are in their own right.

Onto ‘Curses’ then...

Opener ‘The Lord Hates A Coward’ is the perfect introduction to the band for those who have not yet been fortunate enough to hear their music with the filthy bass line and oddball lyrics like “she’s got a lot of pickled onions hanging from her thighs” that inexplicably seem to slot nicely into the song and somehow manage to make perfect sense (to a healthy extent....). ‘Plague Of Ounces’ is yet another great example of this band’s sound, though a lot more venomous and energetic than the majority of their work as lyrics are spat out with incredible sincerity over the purring bassline and thrashing thunderstorm of cymbals.

Perhaps the most well known work of Future Of The Left, the Nintendo-esque ‘Manchasm’ has become a firm favourite with live audiences due to its playful yet slightly twisted melody and chanting chorus. The recording of this track does the song justice and it sits nicely atop ‘Curses’ as one of the many high points. Perhaps the greatest title of the record however goes to ‘Fuck The Countryside Alliance’ – a deliciously sleazy and creepy yet welcome step back from the fast paced remainder of the record. Personally, my highlight of the record and indeed the band’s entire catalog has to be the stomping ‘Small Bones, Small Bodies’ – a perfectly crafted two minute blast through textbook rock n’ roll grooves that hits the ground running.

‘Adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood’ deserves a nod as a runner up in my self-declared ‘Greatest Title Of The Record’ award although by far the superior song. A sparse drum track leaves room for an unnerving silence that oozes arrogance and almost intimidates one into realizing what a great band Future Of The Left really are.

Fans of alternative music in general (whatever their perhaps niche persuasion) will without any doubt love this album as much as I do. Curses is a great full-attack, undeniably bitter record that knows where to occasionally back off and allows room to breathe. With a sequel apparently on its way this year, there has never been a better time to familiarize yourself with this band.