The Psychedelic Furs

With Book of Days, the Furs returned to the guitar-driven, melodic post-punk found on their first two albums. This includes many of their all-time best tunes -- the deserving alt-radio hit "House," the corrosive "Entertain Me," and "Torch," which matches Richard Butler's vocal with the emotive beauty of the acoustic guitar and cello backing.

Because this was unmistakably the P-Furs and unmistakably a stone bore, I figured we must have overrated this band. No one ever accused them of having the funk, after all. Comparison with Talk Talk Talk and even Forever Now soon set me straight, however. Before slipping into chronic depression, Richard Butler intoned amid chaos--the dissonant drones that here parade by in formation detonate all over the earlier records, which makes most of the difference. And although this isn't as lugubrious as you first fear, speed also matters. Usually folks who quit drinking stop sounding sorry for themselves afterwards. (Grade - C+)