Ears Wide Open: French Style Furs

Kevin Bronson on
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frenchstylefurs

What do you get when you mix 50% of Cold War Kids, one-third of We Barbarians and the writings of a Trappist monk? You get French Style Furs, the new trio featuring singer Nathan Willett, bassist Matt Maust and drummer Nathan Warkentin. This week, FSF revealed the first three songs from its full-length, “Is Exotic Bait,” due July 8 on Frenchkiss Records. Wiry, keyboard- and horn-spiked punk-blues, the music features Willett’s vocals atop almost tribal rhythms and contributions from various studio guests. Percussionist Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits, David Lynch) appears on “Solitary Life;” vocalists Haley Dekle (Dirty Projectors), Zina and Marika Dahlin back Willett on the rousing “(World in My) Bloodstream;” and Nick Kinsey and Wyndham Boylan-Garnett (Elvis Perkins in Dearland) contribute horn arrangements as well. Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, et al) produced the album. Now about that Trappist monk: The album’s lyrics are derived from the works of Catholic scholar and mystic Thomas Merton, a pacifist who wrote extensively on social justice and spirituality. If it’s possible, Willett sounds even more like a man possessed than on the four Cold War Kids albums. In French Style Furs (the name comes from a Brooklyn storefront), we have some intensely physical music with a sense of purpose.

||| Stream: “All the Way Down,” “(World in My) Bloodstream” and “Solitary Life”:

||| Live: French Style Furs will do the Monday night residency in June at the Satellite.