Artist: Ezra Furman
Album: Day Of The Dog
Bitrate: 247kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: Bar/None Records
Genre: Rock
Size: 76.88 megs
PlayTime: 0h 41min 30sec total
Rip Date: 2013-11-13
Store Date: 2013-11-15
Track List:
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01. I Wanna Destroy Myself 2:30
02. Tell 'Em All To Go To Hell 2:13
03. My Zero 3:55
04. Day Of The Dog 3:25
05. Walk On In Darkness 3:30
06. Cold Hands 2:40
07. Anything Can Happen 2:26
08. And Maybe God Is A Train 2:15
09. Been So Strange 3:26
10. The Mall 2:25
11. At The Bottom Of The Ocean 3:23
12. Slacker / Adria 5:10
13. Cherry Lane 4:12
Release Notes:
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An artistÆs sophomore solo album is a very interesting thing to dissect and
analyze. By this point we have two backdrops with which to set the new work in
contrast. Deciding to go solo and leave your band behind is usually a pretty
significant artistic (or sometimes personal) move that shouldnÆt go overlooked.
A lot of times a change like that coincides a shedding of the skin that your old
band represents, and Ezra FurmanÆs departure from the company of The Harpoons is
no different. The distinctions may not be as apparent as those between John
FruscianteÆs first few solo albums and Red Hot Chili Peppers of the early '90s,
but let us take into account that Frusciante was not the frontman of RHCP and
that his departure was less due to artistic differences and more because of a
crippling heroin addiction.
After picking up Furman and his new band The Boy-Friends, Bar/None Records
reissued his debut solo album, The Year of No Returning to stir up more hype for
the upcoming Day of the Dog. The Year of No Returning begins to carve a niche
for solo Furman, but Day of the Dog is where Furman crosses a subtle but
significant line from a punk version of indie folk to a punk version of
rockabilly. He hasnÆt lost the folky clatter of acoustic guitar strings or the
bare blissfulness of simple chord progressions that we associate with folk
music. Instead, he adds to that with the swing of an upright bass and First Wave
ska brass lines delivered by a baritone saxophone.
Through his time with The Harpoons and his solo efforts, Furman has crafted a
unique musical timbre and style that lies at the foundation of his music, but
his demeanor and his message (and furthermore the way he delivers the two) are
what keep his career thriving. Enter: ôI Wanna Destroy Myself.ö The album opens
with all the pent up and unguided angst that one should come to expect from
Furman, or a song called ôI Wanna Destroy Myselfö for that matter. Have you ever
found yourself swelling up with an uncontrollable anger only to realize youÆre
not even sure what it is thatÆs peeving you so bad? DonÆt worry, thatÆs just
called post-adolescence and the chorus captures this just as well as Furman has
done countless times before. ôI wanna destroy somethingö is repeated twice
before finally settling on ôI wanna destroy myself.ö In case it wasnÆt clear
that the desire to destroy himself is little else than the result of a failed
search for something better to destroy, the chorus is immediately followed by ôI
have fallen deep in love with nothing / This is nothing tearing through my
brain.ö
Rockabilly comes bursting through on the second track, pushed along by FurmanÆs
relentless attitude. ôTell Em All to Go to Hellö will have you twisting and
shouting and conjuring up your very own anti-establishment manifesto. ôTell Em
Allö spikes your heart rate for two minutes only to drop you into the more
reflective and somber ôMy Zero,ö the albumÆs promo single. The chorus is made up
of just seven words and an infectious guitar/brass line, but ôI thought youÆd
always be my zeroö, while cryptic, speaks volumes. The term "my zero" seems to
describe a starting point or home base from which you work your way through the
trials and tribulations of the number line. ItÆs like replacing ônothingö with
ônothing elseö or pressing "tare" on a scale; the ultimate devotion of
incorporating another fully into your life.
An Ezra Furman album wouldnÆt be complete without an ode to the downtrodden:
ôFrom the bums on the street / To the prisoners inside.ö Just like ôThe
Dishwasherö off of Inside The Human Body, ôDay of the Dogö pays homage to the
unsung heroes of our world. And when we say ôheroesö we may be counting the
ability to simply carry on as a super power, but Furman probably would too. The
title ôDay of the Dogö seems to reference the expression "every dog has his
day," an empowering notion realized if you are, letÆs say for example, a
delivery boy who works part time because writing reviews doesnÆt always pay the
bills. ôDay of the Dogö shows a very Dylan-esque ability to take lyrics to a new
level where theyÆre not only very poetic but also act as a voice for people who
donÆt always have one of their own. If you are one of those people then it is
okay to rewind and listen to Furman belt out ôYou can go home at night / And you
can think that youÆve won / But IÆll see you again / And IÆll prove you dead
wrong / And the sun will be high / On the day of the dog,ö time and time again.
YouÆve earned it.
Furman is taking things one step at a time and with great effect. Nothing seems
groundbreaking, and yet he leaves the earth shattered. Day of the Dog isnÆt
leaps and bounds above The Year of No Returning or anything that he did with The
Harpoons but there is notable evolution. He doesnÆt stray from the Furman that
made his veteran fans take to him in the first place but he gives those same
fans, plus a few more who got hooked by the horns and the swing, something newùa
reason to listen to Day of the Dog instead of just returning to ôTake Off Your
Sunglassesö for the thousandth time.