Day of the Dog

Ezra Furman has always positioned themselves as a singer-songwriter with or without the Harpoons. Their acoustic based music would sometimes rock or burst forth with technicolor pop flourishes. On 2012's The Year of No Returning the production was especially sophisticated but now like Dylan in '65 he is ready to harness the electricity and delve a little deeper into life as a rock and roller with punk panache. On Day of the Dog Ezra re-invents themselves as an angry young person ready to throw themselves on the pyre for the redemption that will follow. With a tight rockin' combo they re-work '50s grooves through primal-Lennon outbursts, glam hissing, right up and full circle into Pixies-style / Buddy Holly rave-ups. It's an instant classic that could have fit on Stiff between Costello's debut and the Damned.