Handsome Furs – Sound Kapital

We’re not exactly short of 80s revivalist electro-pop at the moment, so the prospect of another outfit who wear their debt to Depeche Mode on their sleeves might sound wearisome. Handsome Furs, however, explore this territory with more panache and imagination than most. The Montreal-based husband and wife duo (Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry) have the force of personality to give these songs their own identity, as well as an ability to pen some seriously infectious songs.

As a member of Wolf Parade, Dan Boeckner’s roots are in more guitar-oriented music, and the use of guitars to fill out the sound on tracks like Bury Me Standing gives these songs an impressive depth and variation. Most of all, though, it’s a sense of heartfelt sincerity that gives Sound Kapital its real value. This is no mere exercise in 80s nostalgia, but a heartfelt attempt to forge genuinely contemporary songs with familiar tools. [Sam Wiseman]