Trystan's Best #19: Handsome Furs - Face Control

Released: March 10th, 2009

Handsome Furs' debut, Plague Park, was an endearing, albeit less-than-groundbreaking, collection of songs. Nonetheless, you could tell Dan Boeckner and then-fiance-now-wife Alexei Perry were onto something. With Face Control, the two assert not only that they're the real deal, but that they might just be the sexiest couple in rock'n'roll. Boeckner barks through a cigarette-smoke lined throat and doles out lightning-strike guitar hooks while Perry pumps out some industrial beats stolen right out of an East-German disco. Boeckner manages to make somewhat cliche lines seem as new as ever, particularly on standout "All We Want, Baby, Is Everything". The blood gets pumping early with the deadly "Evangeline" and the thumping "Talking Hotel Arabat Blues". The album hits a major peak with Boeckner's guitar wailing on "I'm Confused", but the Berlin Wall love-story closer "Radio Kaliningrad" just can't be forgotten.