This is one of those records that's as naked as it can be in emotional terms, and yet still wildly enjoyable and tuneful as well. All of Us Flames, the new one from Ezra Furman, reveals the artist reaching a kind of peak here. The ANTI- / Bella Union release stands above and beyond so much of what's come out this summer, showcasing a kind of serious rock, that's still full of the sort of pleasures as the best classic rock or glam.
Furman sets a deliberate pace in starting this record's march towards glory, before "Dressed in Black" struts forward. This one, ornate and measured, finds Furman cooing and modulating her voice perfectly. The hooks here all over All of Us Flames remind me of Life is Sweet-era Maria McKee, when a juxtaposition between glam and more reserved forms of hard rock saw a new genre being born. "Forever in Sunset" takes that and runs into the sunset with it. A big, top-down-sort of cut, the song would, in the perfect world, be a huge radio hit, like something from Meat Leaf. And I say that not as a diss, but as a compliment as to how big this, and so many selections here, sound.
While "Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club" finds Furman singing the praise of a pop icon of sorts, "Point Me Toward the Real" is where this record really reaches a special plane. Brash, catchy as hell, and perfectly rendered, the tune is part Rufus Wainwright and part Tom Waits, with the kind of melodic heft that suggests early Seventies Bowie. It's a magnificent song, as is closer "Come Close", a more intimate kind of confessional. Ezra straddles a multiple of styles here, making each feel like her own, even as enough hints are dropped as to the points of stylistic inspiration behind this. Call this a concept album, but it's one in which we're hearing the myth of Ezra Furman, written and performed by Ezra Furman, and on a big stage. I'm happy to hear and rave about indie with a little ambition behind it, and this Ezra Furman album has it, and earns its many pay-off moments.
[Photo: Tonje Thilesen]