Born in the USA, rock'n'roll – originally defined as music that at it's core involved simple melodies, big beats; a fusion of rhythm 'n 'blues with country music – strikes a deep chord within the American psyche. Rock'n'roll á la Elvis, Jerry, Buddy, Chuck et al didn't percolate much into the hearts and heads of the British until the likes of The Beatles – early lovers of the sound slowly drifting across the Atlantic via hard-to-get imports – borrowed the bits they liked, and gave it a British identity. But, to this day, despite the like of The Stones, The Beatles, The Who, Led Zep, Queen etc rock'n'roll is an essentially American invention, and it's something they still can do very well, on occasion…
Like Ezra Furman, another in a long line of contemporary American traditionalists/revivalists that have rock'n'roll in their blood… This observant, cross-dressing, rock'n'roll Jew, who struggles with his bi-sexuality and the periodic questioning of his identity and purpose, makes raw and hook-laden music that is restless, timeless, and combative; a veritable ball of energy that bounces around genres, but with rock'n'roll at its beating heart.
After a few years of developing his sound as Ezra Furman and The Harpoons, Furman decided to go 'solo', and ended up expanding his musical palette away from the obvious Violent Femmes influences. Although solo in name, he did form a touring band – The Boyfriends – who have remained more or less constant ever since. And then in 2013 he dropped Day of The Dog on the market, recorded with The Boyfriends, and which picked up some stunning reviews here in the UK, most notably a five star review from The Guardian, laying the groundwork for him to become a cult sensation, exemplified by the packed-to-the-rafters showcase gig here in Brighton as part of the last year's Great Escape. Whereas he couldn't gain much traction in his home country – the birthplace of rock'n'roll – the UK recognised the talent in this maverick, one who thrives on the live stage. We just seem to get this idea of artistic restlessness and perpetual motion, positively battling through life's confusions and complexities. Moreover, cross-dressing – while big in New York and San Fran maybe – is a somewhat questionable thing to do in conservative America. We Brits meanwhile have a fine, and strong tradition of such 'comedic' behaviour via the likes of Danny la Rue, Les Dawson and Dick Emery, but also through musicians such as David Bowie. Indeed, the glam era suddenly allowed men to apply nail varnish… Conservative Britain might have largely tut-tutted, but the violent antagonism of much of America just did not apply here. Appropriately enough, this is his first release on the UK's Bella Union label.
Like most of his songs here, lead track Restless Year lays out the reason for it in the first line or two, in this case Furman's on-going restless spirit, which in particular references his penchant for cross-dressing: 'Making the rounds in my five-dollar dress/I can't go home, though I'm not homeless/I'm just another savage in the wilderness/And if you can't calm down you can listen to this'. There's doo-wop in here, and a twinkly and cheap sounding casio, and it's full of surprises, such as the dirty solo bass passage. Furman lets rip, vocally speaking, almost cracking at the strain in that vaguely whiny, yet immensely versatile voice that sounds like an amalgamation of Jonathan Richman, Neil Young, Dan Stuart (Green on Red), David Byrne and ex-Brightonian Eamon Hamilton (Brakes), whilst influences such as Weezer, old school country-blues, Lou Reed, and 50s doo-wop and rock'n'roll abound. The rush of the song is matched by the accompanying video. As Furman says in describing the video: ''Zipping around the San Francisco Bay Area, feeling insane, looking amazing. Reading, dancing, falling, encountering Death".
Lousy Connection really draws out the love that Furman has for doo-wop and old school rock'n'roll, mixed in with a bit of Motown, as he continues his journey in trying to fit in, to understand what it means to be in a modern world, as an outsider, in a world where everything happens, and yet nothing does, a theme throughout his work. And he is a man in love with music in general, and the expression that music is capable of imparting, however random and seemingly haphazard. For instance there's the very short and sweet lo-fi punk of Hark! To The Music, a song in praise of music in the face of emotional hardship and boredom, while on the brilliant Haunted Head, comparisons with another relatively new kid-on-the-block, Courtney Barnett, shine through via the seemingly mundane sentiments expressed, that speak of a deeper malaise and boredom. “I'm up at six, I got a slice of bread, I cut a hole in it, I crack a little egg in a frying pan, and I try to get my mind turned off”.
Meanwhile – he mixes it up real well in terms of pace – Hour of Deepest Need slows it down in late night saloon-bar style, whilst the wacky Wobbly says it all in the title, an expression of trying to find a truth that is within grasp, but never catchable. And in Ordinary Life, Furman once again emphasises his restless spirit in the face of a life less ordinary: 'I'm sick of this record already, let's wreck all these pre-conceived notions we bring to it, check all the baggage, or better yet, burn it. Let's start all over again…' Much in the way he often changes the way he presents his gender (check out the recent Later… with Jools Holland performance), Furman's songs are almost invariably about struggles; with gender, identity, love and life, but usually delivered in exuberant and life-affirming fashion. Occasionally, on songs such as Watch You Go By, he sounds like a defeatist, when the inner-strength starts to dissolve. But, rather than self-pitying it's self-mocking, a demonstration of his strength of character, able to articulate and confront his deepest fears that centre around a perceived, profound loneliness.
Furman is bored, but never bored, somehow finding the wherewithal to summon up the energy to race through this endless maze of dead-ends, trying to 'keep it new, keep it true', as he sings in Ordinary Life, while the crunchy grunge of Tip of a Match is a self-call to action: 'If you feel like the tip of a match/Then strike yourself on something'! while Body Was Made directly confronts what was given to him at birth. Indeed, Furman sees himself as genderfluid (someone who feels they are a mix of the sexes, spiritually and emotionally speaking), as depicted on the cover artwork. 'Your body is yours at the end of the day, don't let the hateful try and take it away'.
Certainly, Furman is the real deal, an 'outsider' in spirit and artistic bearing, one who has the potential to connect directly with the listener, no matter how 'straight' they may be, via his emotional, direct, yet self-mocking lyrics, that doesn't know what oblique means. And, as always, he has a terrific band, musically at one with Furman's tumultuous, yet good-natured bearing, that positively revels in the spirit of good ole rock'n'roll.
Jeff Hemmings
Website: ezrafurman.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ezrafurmanmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/ezrafurman