We Are The Fury – Venus

Sometimes you come to a band in an unusual way. I’m a fan of the writer David Foster Wallace, whose 1996 novel “Infinite Jest” is one of those books which lots of people start but can’t finish. (It took awhile, but I made it to the end. Many have been helped in this task by the Infinite Summer challenge.) Browsing the Wikipedia entry for the novel, I learned about this band from Ohio that named an EP after it. The EP was great, so I of course checked out their only album, “Venus”, and was not disappointed. Rolling Stone called them an “Artist to Watch” in 2007, but the album either tanked hard or the band imploded because there was no follow up until they dropped a few singles in 2018/19. I saw it described somewhere as glam punk, and I think that’s spot on: there are echoes of bands like New York Dolls filtered through an emo sensibility with a hair metal band’s confidence and a garage band aesthetic, coming out on the other side with something that at times feels like The Strokes on Ritalin. They remind me very much of a band I already know, but that band’s name is just beyond the fingertips of my dwindling memory. There are certainly some rock star cliches here – yes, I’m pretty sure cowbell makes an appearance – but it’s done in a playful, we’re-in-on-the-joke kind of way. The record is frenetic, except for the obligatory power ballads, which are fine but don’t stand out like the bangers. Fave tracks include “Now You Know”, “Camera Tricks”, “Still Don’t Know Your Name”, “Saturday Night” and “You’re My Halo (Prom Song)”. A good listen from needle drop to the last howl: if you love Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” (and who are these heathens who don’t?), this is an album for you.