Throughout history, there have been groups of musicians that don’t want to conform to mainstream media and genres. In some cases, entire musical movements are birthed from this idea – Punk being an obvious example. And with Punk music like many others, once a larger social group jumped on the bandwagon, certain individuals wanted something new. Groups like Joy Division emerged, displaying a punk attitude through different musical aesthetics, giving birth to Post-Punk among many other off-shoots. The Montreal 4-piece Suuns seem to be applying a similar outlook on their newest release Images du Futur, which is another chapter in the group’s sonic exploration beyond typical post-punk ideals. By use of many instruments, both analog and digital, they have crafted an engaging listen with a satisfying amount of catchy hooks and melodies.
Images du Futur houses a unique mix of louder parts that show the groups punk side as well as deep and dreary moments displaying the groups darker side. “Powers of Ten” kicks off the album with energetic guitar strumming, but develops into a relatively slow groove that you wouldn’t expect from the initial guitar tone. The track eventually builds intensity as Ben Shemie’s vocals become increasingly strained and a cowbell backs the groove at the end. Normally, I wouldn’t associate cowbells with any avenue of punk music but it adds to “Powers of Ten” in a unique way. “Mirror Mirror” is another song that takes a surprising left-turn at the beginning by first introducing wailing, distorted guitars and then transforming into a groovy rock song dabbled in psychedelic influence. It holds a solid groove, but flows like molasses, making for a great song to dance and relax to simultaneously. While tracks like “Mirror Mirror” have brightness to them, Images du Futur also contains some deep and dark moments. The single “2020” perfectly shows this contrast as well as the groups growing influences. Being lead by a deep and thick wobbling bassline, the song is made more eerie through a slowly descending slide-guitar phrase and Ben Shemie’s breathy vocals. This song has a definite grooviness to it as well, even through the darkness.
“Edie’s Dream” is one track that doesn’t make use of synths, and also carries one of the most unique rhythms on the record. By beginning with an unusual phrase on one guitar, layers are eventually added as well as an African drum (possibly a djembe?) giving the song a slow but powerful drive. By not reaching any real climax the song segues into “Sunspot” perfectly, which is one of the most powerful tracks on the record. Like others on the record, Suuns utilize a song structure of their own on this track, using oddly timed phrases and unique transitions. With an odd but simple guitar phrase driving the verse, the track suddenly bursts into a jazzy break that’s dark and groovy at the same time, before reverting back to the verse. By not confining themselves to typical post-punk elements, moments like this one on “Sunspot” make for a great listen. “Holocene City”, similarly, makes use of a synth in an unusual way for post-punk, making for one of the more cozy moments of Images du Futur. With no abrasive sounds or samples and one of Shemie’s most delicate vocal performances, “Holocene City” and the subsequent title-track serve to be the calmest moments of the record, especially in contrast to the single “Bambi”. Driven by a echoed guitar riff and tied with whirling drums and a strong bassline “Bambi” is the most abrasive track on the record, but still features a transparency that allows it to fit with the others.
Suuns are a group that seek to explore new sonic realms through a wide range of instruments and styles and their newest record Images du Futur does so by exposing a post-punk/rock attitude through music with psychedelic, shoegaze, deep-electronic and pop influences. Though all of these genres make their way onto the record in some way, the tracks on Images du Futur share cohesiveness. It’s a bold step onto many different musical avenues, and works fantastically while not straying too far off from the material on their debut. With Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes behind the production table, who also helped the group with their debut, they’ve managed to put together another solid statement in post-punk music. Images du Futur isn’t a huge step for this Montreal 4-piece, but it shows how well these musical ideals can work when applied correctly.
Buy Images du Futur from Secretly Canadian