Over the course of their early lifespan, London-based act Grumbling Fur moved from scatterbrained improvisations from a collective of experimental ideas into increasingly electronic pop territory once the band stripped down to the duo of core members Daniel O'Sullivan and Alexander Tucker. Released in 2013, the bright full-length Glynnaestra found the pair sculpting dark and clinical electro with one eye on '80s synth pop and the other on the repetitive rhythmic push of Krautrock. With Preternaturals, Grumbling Fur lighten their approach somewhat, replacing some of the gothic seriousness of Glynnaestra with a more Brian Eno-inflected sense of lighthearted science pop. Some remnants of their '80s-leaning programming remain, particularly on the synth syncopation of tunes like "All the Rays" and "Lightinsisters," the latter of which features vocal collaborations from Charlatans vocalist Tim Burgess. These tunes find a glistening, optimistic nexus point for the extremely strong influences of both Violator-era Depeche Mode and the type of glistening, optimistic sounds Eno made best on Wrong Way Up, his 1990 collaborative album with John Cale. The airy string section of "Feet of Clay" floats on top of a lightly glitchy beat, marrying Grumbling Fur's 1990 electro pop influences to a decidedly English breed of yearning, folksy psychedelia. The strange mesh of unlikely combinations results in an enormously satisfying bigger picture. The abstract electronics and heartfelt post-Eno melodies make each other's strengths all the more apparent, with fluttering ambient interludes like "Materials Recording the Fibres of Time" and "White China Pencil" creating just enough of a respite for the straightforward alt-pop of tracks like "Mister Skeleton" to really stand out. Preternaturals finds Grumbling Fur at the best realization so far of their joyfully weird take on pop music. Catchy, odd, and deeply inspired, the nine songs and soundscapes here fit together like some delightful puzzle that's always one or two pieces away from completion.
© Fred Thomas /TiVo