Montreal foursome Suuns plays an unusual brand of noise rock – one that’s more melodic, jazzy, and krautrocky than the standard fare. The group formed in 2006 but didn’t release a debut LP until signing with Secretly Canadian in 2010. The resulting album, Zeroes QC, was praised for its dark minimalism and led Suuns to some notable gigs and festival appearances. The group has emerged, from what I assume is a cave, with a follow-up called Images du Futur.
“Powers of Ten” kicks things off with a jarring trill that’s either a guitar or one of your father’s power tools. The industrial, icy vibe is furthered by singer/guitarist Ben Shemie’s clench-toothed gnarl, sounding as desperate as ever. “Powers of Ten” is one of the chilliest Suuns tracks to date (which is saying a lot) and it is an appropriately bombastic opener to the album. Following the opener is Images du Futur‘s lead single, “2020,” a wondrous piece of work and an album highlight. It shows what Suuns can accomplish when they focus on concision over exploration. The track’s mechanical groove is complemented by some of the most inventive guitar work I’ve heard all year. Seldom does slide guitar create such an exciting affect.
Suuns’ ability to craft captivating tracks is evident, but unfortunately some misguided noodling in the midsection bogs down Images Du Futur‘s high points. The decline begins with “Sunspot,” a track that starts with as top-notch a groove as Suuns have written but later evolves into futile jamming. Suuns continue the mediocrity with “Holocene City,” the album’s lifeless low point that does nothing to combat the “Suuns sound too much like [UK experimental pop group] Clinic” argument. It’s painful to hear such a contrast between the explosive front end and the frustratingly hollow back end. Fortunately, Suuns return to sublimity with the closer “Music Won’t Save You,” a dark, pulsing track that balances Shemie’s bleak lyrics with the most conventional, comforting guitars on the album.
Images du Futur is undeniably the work of a great band. Suuns are playing thought-provoking, unique music that deserves to be heard, but unfortunately their weaknesses surface a bit too often to ignore.
Images du Futur