LOVE SPIT LOVE - Trysome Eatone

Artist:  Love Spit Love

Album: Trysome Eatone

Year:  1997

Genre:  Alternative

I owe a friend big time for this one as I was ignorant to the fact that Love Spit Love contained the voice of Psychedelic Furs front man Richard Butler.  Although some lump The Furs in with the 80s era one-hit-wonders, they truly were fiercely talented and wrote dense albums in their signature new wave / modern rock sound.  They represent a time and movement of music that will never be replicated.  Just like The Furs, groups such as Modern English, Flock of Seagulls and Duran Duran became gigantic for a song or two, yet, I always looked at them as bands that wrote full records, front to back, without the single-minded intention of becoming international pop stars; which is exactly what happened to each one of them.  Well, as I listened to the second offering by Love Spit Love, I was immediately time machined(?) back to my late teens when my world was slowly becoming a bit more 120 Minutes and bit less Headbanger Ball. 

I have no other good way to put this but to say Trysome Aetone is a lost Psychedelic Furs record.  A good one, at that.  In fact, it may be the best thing they never did since Talk Talk Talk and could have easily followed the criminally overlooked World Outside.  There is a perfectly acceptable reason I’m relating this so closely to a band that hasn’t released any new material since 1991.  It’s that voice!  Richard Butler is one of the most unique singers in rock, and the years have been kind to him as his beautiful tone and distinct delivery haven’t aged a bit.  Musically, this record harkens back to the glory-era of early 90s rock with fuzzy, psyched out guitars and big, hard-hitting rhythms.  The album shifts moods now and again, but it is at its most powerful when the band is laying down their somewhat formulaic sounds and lets Mr. Butler takes over to belts it out like the iconic alternative singer that he is.  Unfortunately, Love Spit Love is dead in the water, but now that Psychedelic Furs are back together and touring, let’s hope they quit screwing around and get back into the studio soon.

Listen to "Fall On Tears" here.