Pop Music Review : With Love Spit Love, Butler Leaves Furs for a New Style

The Psychedelic Furs were one of the most compelling acts to emerge from Britain in the post-punk era, borrowing some of the Sex Pistols’ nasty edge and mixing it with David Bowie’s cold romantic flair. Now its leader, Richard Butler, has a new band called Love Spit Love, which landed at the Coach House on Sunday to play new music without any of the crossover pandering that ruined the Furs.

The absence of any old Furs hits in the hourlong set was proof enough Butler has some new ideas, though “Am I Wrong?” did come close to re-creating those edgy pop hooks the Furs perfected in the ‘80s. Much of the rest was just charged and moody enough to undoubtedly scare some of the Furs’ more casual pop fans away. And no one in the crowd called out any Furs requests.

Butler sang in a raw, less mannered style than he has in years, at times playfully supplementing his vocals with blasts through a bullhorn or kazoo. Guitarist Richard Fortus chopped at his guitar with a clenched fist to create melodies with a harsh finesse. Fortus also picked up an acoustic guitar and joined Butler for an encore ballad whose delicacy demonstrated that Butler is not limited to the sounds of his past.