Noise rock is not the most accessible genre of music. It is not an easy listen and it often feels as though the ears are getting assaulted with a barrage of overly aggressive rock. This can turn off some, but some take their volume dials and turn it even louder.
The new group Future of the Left, born from the ashes of McLusky, have created an album that will have some trying to find their mythical “11” level. In almost every song, lead singer Andy “Falco” Falkous strings together a ridiculous list of non-sequiturs. In “Manchasm,” Falkous goes from screaming Mark Foley to telling a strange story of a cat named Colin. In between, he begs his audience to keep listening.
“Every minute matters!”
After listening to the album a couple of times, it is obvious that the guys behind the record stick by this credo. The album is just over 30 minutes long, but they make each moment count with a strange riff on the instrumentation or an even weirder riff on the way it is sung.
On another standout, “Adeadenemyalwyassmellsgood,” Falco builds the song through the rocking guitar until the very end, where he commands listeners to “Throw your heart on the cordon.” The line itself makes little sense independent of the song, but the emotional outburst seems perfectly in place grouped together with the song and album.
While the record reaches new heights in raw emotional rage and expression, it loses itself at the very end with the last song. The band scales it back with Falco’s quiet voice accompanied by an eerie piano beat guiding the song to its conclusion, where Falco declares, “I give you the future of what you demanded.” It’s an unnecessary ending to a compelling album. It plays more like an apology for what came before instead of a sharp and clear point of contrast.
Still, the album provides an experience that will leave listeners hanging on for more and wondering where they come up with lyrics like this.