This is a review for The Psychedelic Furs album Mirror Moves. This has been my introduction to a review for The Psychedelic Furs album Mirror Moves.
While I can’t think of a single other band or song to compare it to, the second The Ghost in You started, all I could think was, yep, this is what 1984 Britain would have sounded like. Its weird Caribbean influence combines with the new wave twist of the day, and vocals that would eventually be amped up just a bit to fuel so much Brit rock of the decades to follow.
The 80s is in even fuller effect when the sax is added to the primitive electronic sounds and reverbed to the max guitars of Here Come Cowboys. Things get more easily definably 80s when the ultra pop of Heartbeat kicks in. The sax is less soul passion, and more like the shirtless dude on the pier in The Lost Boys. The pounding, over produced drums and vocals that sound like a David Bowie impression. As much as it sounds like I’m pulling the piss out of this song, it’s actually the most enjoyable moment so far on Mirror Moves.
Keeping most of those ingredients, but finding a little more room for some more organic sounds when it comes to the drums and bass guitar, My Time has a little more grit to it, and it’s great. Hearing real people at the heart of this song makes it more relatable to me than the earlier tracks that sound more like a sound engineer or two in the studio, tweaking and refining everything to within an inch of its life. Which is what The Psychedelic Furs deliver on Like a Stranger.
Maybe The Psychedelic Furs are one of those bands who have suffered due to the many cheap knocks offs who have ripped them off over the years, and diluted what made the band so ground breaking and great. Because while I like a lot of Mirror Moves, I never loved it. I could hear enough cool stuff in there to make me wish I could go back to 1984 and hear it in that context. But until time travel is possible, I’ve heard more than enough Psychedelic Furs with this record and don’t see myself seeking out anymore anytime soon.
Other Opinions Are Available. What did these people have to say about Mirror Moves?
Sfloman
Robert Christgau
Bored and Dangerous 