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It's a smarmy affair, and there's a compelling interplay between his wild-eyed desperation and her cool, clean sheen of thumps and melodies.
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An interesting listen, Face Control has an eerie vibe, as though something beneath the surface is just a bit off.
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It is a step forward for an artist with a wealth of potential and a tremendously moving voice. Should he cease his overzealous grab for stylistic and thematic conventions--or perhaps if he simply learns to cover more ground--there’s a good chance Handsome Furs will reach a level of maturity and sophistication at which their current offering merely hints.
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Lyrical inscrutability peppered with the occasional waft of clarity has always been a Boeckner trademark, and Face Control continues that.
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Face Control, the new record by Handsome Furs (Alexei Perry and Dan-from-Wolf-Parade), sounds like "Born in the USA," if the Boss had allowed a little more evil in the mix, and tried replicating Alan Vega’s demented yelps. Yeah, it’s THAT good...
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FilterTogether they've embraced more experience and experimentation for captivating results. [Winter 2009, p.100]
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There’s no denying the chemistry between these two; it throbs all over their impressive new disc.
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Face Control's programmed electronics, in fact, ring deeply human, and Boeckner's tortured vocals express shared experience rather than alienation.
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Face Control is a small triumph of intoxicating claustrophobia, full of crumbling, poignant melodies spurred along by thecold, unfeeling whip-crack of a cheap drum machine.
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Face Control does have at least a few things in common with a good poem: it’s a carefully crafted, modest, personal work that’s as much about purging the demons and anxieties that have been kicking around in the author’s dome as it is about creating something beautiful.
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It's just a solid album, and just another example of Boeckner and Perry's tingling creative chemistry.
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There’s an emotional heft here that wasn’t present before.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 13 out of 16
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Mixed: 2 out of 16
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Negative: 1 out of 16
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BrendanGMar 13, 2009Maybe not their "deepest" work, but certainly the catchiest.
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martinwMar 12, 2009This record is fantastic. it sounds like bruce springsteen fronting J.U.S.T.I.C.E but erm...good.
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KyleMMar 11, 2009This is the best thing Dan Boeckner has put his name on outside of the first Wolf Parade full length, no question.