Much was made of Fufanu’s early incarnation as a techno act before they ditched their synths and bought guitars (to paraphrase LCD Soundsystem), a change that resulted in the taut post-punk of their debut.
There’s no such surprise on the Icelandic band’s sophomore effort. The Joy Division/Bauhaus/early Simple Minds influences remain along with nods to contemporaries such as The xx and The Horrors. But to write Fufanu off as mere imitators does them a disservice.
Under Nick Zinner's (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) production, the title track's motorik beat, insistent bass and Kaktus Einarsson's detached vocal are utterly mesmerizing as are the airtight rhythms and chiming guitars on Tokyo and Syncing In. These boys ooze class; what other tricks do they have up their sleeves?
