Furs’ Sound Restyled in Basic Bleakness : Rock: Richard Butler says his post-punk group has abandoned commercial sleekness and revived its early, primitive approach.

In the band’s seminal days early this decade, the Psychedelic Furs seemed strongly influenced by David Bowie’s avant-garde side, in their own unique post-punk way. With their last and most successful album, 1987’s commercial breakthrough “Midnight to Midnight,” some early fans thought the band had followed Bowie’s lead once more--by selling out.

The new album “Book of Days” should assuage those fears. In the intervening time, bandleader Richard Butler let the Furs fly, returning with a dark sonic morass more akin to the early approach than the stuff of hits.

And instead of a big Rock Show at the Forum a la two years ago, this tour they’re playing what Butler promises is a moodier, less floodlighted show at smaller venues--including dates tonight at the Celebrity Theatre in Anaheim, Wednesday at the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert and Friday and Saturday at the Pantages in Hollywood.

The band’s hit LP a couple years back “didn’t feel natural enough,” says Butler. “It was too produced, and the chemistry--not of the basic members of the band, but the other members that we had with us at that time--wasn’t right. Lyrically as well it’s not the most mysterious thing I’ve ever written. It didn’t sound like this band somehow.

“And I think this record does. We felt it was time to just go in and make a record that we liked without worrying about whether it sounded commercial--having as little production on it as possible and getting it to sound quite raw.”

That kind of sound is increasingly allowable, with the Cure having had massive success with a rather uncompromising album and the Jesus & Mary Chain also doing surprisingly well. But Butler says his decision to return to that approach wasn’t influenced by anyone else.

“England is a very fashion-conscious country, so at any one point you’re likely to be displaced. If you’re worried about being out of fashion, we would probably have been out of fashion in 1982 when the big ska/two-tone thing happened. I don’t think fashion makes much difference. You either write good songs or you don’t.”

The Psychedelic Furs play tonight at 8 p.m. at the Celebrity Theatre, 201 E. Broadway, Anaheim. Tickets: $19.50. Information: (714) 999-9536.