Music that sounds like a collision of the best of new wave, post-punk, and electronica, with a dash of modern sensibility- there you have Burnt Fur, a four-piece band from Boston, Massachusetts, comprised of members Scott Harrison (vocals/guitar/bass/drum pads/synth), Patrik Tirda (synth/samples/drum pads), and Ian St. Germain and Jean Kennedy on drum pads/bass.

Unfurl is the debut album they released in February of 2008. The title track, also a single, features introspective lines like “Moving beyond shape, removal with velocity / I unfurl like I’m living ahead of time” and “They say we don’t change / We become more of who we really are” set to gliding, upbeat electronics. “Redux” and “Initials in the Tree” rev up the danceability factor and reveal the darker side of the band, while “Warm All Day” and “D.S.T.” venture into shoegaze territory. “Vitriol” and “Radiate” were released as singles prior to the release of Unfurl, and serve as fine examples of how radio playability and catchiness don’t require compromising style. “Pixelated Black” is my personal pick for this album’s highlight, with incessant drum-beats, perfect splashes of synth, and robotic vocal flanging. The album ends with “Homage”, taking back in the soft, bittersweet aura of the first track, and bringing the album, everything full-circle, to a close.

What sets Burnt Fur apart from many of the so-called “new wave revival” or “electronic revival” acts of today is that this is not a carbon copy of the dark dance-hall music of the past; it is respectful of it and offers an expansion and new interpretation of such a sound. This is also one of few albums I have gotten in recent times that actually includes lyrics in the insert, proving Burnt Fur not just to be something to dance to, but also a band for thoughtful consideration. They are currently working on their follow-up album, which I very much look forward to hearing.

Listen to Unfurl on Last.fm | Burnt Fur on MySpace Music | Official Website | Store

Note: I’d like to add that Burnt Fur also covered one of my favourite New Order songs, “Ultraviolence” on their “Vitriol” single: listen here!

BURNT FUR - Pixelated Black - Live @ UMASS, 09.13.08