The Psychedelic Furs are an English New Wave/Post-Punk/Alt Rock band very popular in the 1980's. The group is known for its dreamy sound coupled with stringy guitars and Richard's effective, if not technically skilled vocals. Founded in 1977 by brothers Tim & Richard Butler, the band rose up in the ranks with their second album Talk Talk Talk, which included the seminal anthem "Pretty In Pink". The song was inspiration for John Hughes 1986 teen film, and it featured a re-recording of the track, which became a hit. The group officially became the band for non-synth New Wave addicts, disaffected teenagers, and college radio & modern rock listeners everywhere. However, the band's popularity steadily dropped as they went commercial and lost the angst and depth that made them admired to begin with. The band broke up in 1992, but reformed in 2000 as a live-only band. A new album was released in 2020.
Discography:
- The Psychedelic Furs (1980)
- Talk Talk Talk (1981)
- Forever Now (1982)
- Mirror Moves (1984)
- Midnight To Midnight (1986)
- Book of Days (1989)
- World Outside (1991)
- Made of Rain (2020)
The Psychedelic Furs provides examples of:
- Later-Installment Weirdness: In the late 80's, the band went hyper-modern 80's rock with all that implies; gated drums, heavy usage of electric guitars, and period-typical "big and bloomy" sound production. Of course Richard's voice was the same, leading to a New Wave vocal style, on a pop-rock backdrop...
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Leaning on the cynical side. Troubled relationships and distaste for society's ailments litter their lyrics. However, they have a sentimental side that makes them stand out from the sneering punk, post-punk, and new wave scenes of the era. In a way, The Psychedelic Furs could be considered depressive post-punk made palatable to the mainstream by toning down the world-weariness and adding hope.
- Strictly Formula: Let's just say that a lot of their songs sound very similar to each other, especially the entirety of their Midnight To Midnight LP.
- Take That!: "President Gas" from Forever Now is one of these to Ronald Reagan, mocking his self-promotion and ego.
- Word Salad Lyrics: Many of their lyrics are quite...abstract.
