Album Review: Ezra Furman – Twelve Nudes

Thrashy, punk and deliberately political, emotions run high right through Ezra Furman’s eighth studio album, covering everything from the USA presidential administration to the conflict in Gaza and the media’s temptation to embellish fact. Opening track Calm Down Aka I Should Not Be Alone encapsulates these views, both generally and perhaps on a personal level, and pays homage to the Stones’ Sympathy For The Devil. Transition From Nowhere To Nowhere embodies Furman’s deft ear for a catchy hook, and although harder to find on this record, those hooks are evident on songs such as Rated R Crusaders and Trauma. Like previous albums, this is a slow burn of a record.

It’s not all punk either, as Furman’s '60s-style balladry comes to the fore in I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend, and pop sensibilities can be found in In America. Crude and to the point, it’s Furman again at his most flamboyant and expressive self.