Album Review: The Psychedelic Furs – Made Of Rain

The Psychedelic Furs have now been around since the late 70’s, after a few inevitable name changes they released their self titled debut in 1980, they followed this with a run of six further albums, 81’s “Talk Talk Talk“, 82’s “Forever Now”, 84’s “Mirror Moves“, 87’s “Midnight To Midnight“, ’89’s “Book Of Days” and 91’s “World Outside“. At this point the band went their separate ways, only to re-emerge at the turn of the millennium with a new line up, although crucially still containing two founding members, and they have been steadily touring ever since, but with no new material on offer they appeared to have become an ongoing greatest hits tour, but now, after almost three decades, The Psychedelic Furs have returned with their eighth studio album “Made Of Rain“, somehow the usual review phrases of ‘long awaited’ and ‘eagerly anticipated’ don’t quite cut it on this occasion.

The Psychedelic Furs have almost always been there in the background, I discussed this over a lockdown coffee in a fellow punk site contributors garden, outside of the ‘Pretty In Pink‘ movie, something that saw that track launched into the top of half of the charts in the UK and onto countless new wave compilations in the late eighties, many outside of their loyal following wouldn’t have been overtly conscious of the band, until you shuffle through their back catalogue and you discover that you knew them all along, you just didn’t know it. It must be said that I approach albums from band’s from back in the day, especially after such a long hiatus from recording, with a degree of trepidation, often the weight of expectation based on their best known material from their heyday leads to disappointment, so what does The Psychedelic Furs new album have in store?

From the opening of chords of ‘The Boy Who Invented Rock & Roll‘ there is a feeling of familiarity, The Psychedelic Furs have kept true to their sound but have not existed in a time warp, they have kept true to their origins but have brought their post punk soundtrack into modern age. You could argue that the barbed edge that was part of their early releases has been blunted, this is an epic sweeping soundscape that signifies a shift away from their roots, whether this means that “Made Of Rain” is for you is down to your personal tastes as this is an album exists in the here and now, rather than their glory days of of the 80’s and 90’s. With their return to the studio The Psychedelic Furs have recorded something that manages to be instantly recognisable yet completely different, 

Since their arrival on the post-punk landscape over four decades ago The Psychedelic Furs influence remains undiminished and “Made Of Rain” is certainly a fitting addition to their catalogue, if you loved the band back in the day then this new album will certainly be a welcome return. “Made Of Rain” is thankfully not an exercise in nostalgia and there are no rose tinted nods to the past, The Psychedelic Furs have undoubtedly mellowed with age but there is also an unexpected bonus for the band, “Made Of Rain” is an album that might well serve to introduce them to a whole new audience, which isn’t something you can often say about a new album from a band of their vintage. “Made Of Rain” is now available on CD, double gatefold vinyl and digitally via all the usual suspects as well as on exclusive formats and autographed options via the band’s official store.