The Fiery Furnaces

I have a knackered copy of Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’, I don’t own any Television records and The Strokes do nothing for me. This is why it is all the more surprising that I’m finding bands such as Razorlight and now The Fiery Furnaces great to see live. Stepping in for The Hokum Clones, this brother/sister duo from Brooklyn, display not only a ruthless take on churning New York punk rhythms, but run through a slew of cleverly crafted lyrical jaunts, all delivered with rasping elegance.

Tonight’s satisfyingly varied set consists of bluesy grinds, electro warbles and fairground trills - Eleanor Friedberger’s vocals cutting through the barrage of noise with a cluttered clarity that is both direct and faultless. The catchy choruses of songs such as ‘Tropical Iceland’ are countered by epic jams such as ‘Inca Rag’; both variations adding to FF captivating live performance. Putting inevitable American Blues-Duo comparisons to one side, The Fiery Furnaces have found a skewed sound they can most definitely call their own. Intense, playful and inventive, this band is simply great.