Album Review: Suuns - Images Du Futur

It's always difficult to maintain focus when lauded with acclaim. Montreal's Suuns released their debut Zeroes QC in 2010 and within 12 months were touted for great things from the likes of NME, Clash and Pitchfork. Their confidence, drive and precision proved a powerhouse combination on the stage. Yet the follow up Images Du Futur, while exciting, highlights a band unable to shake off their latent influences.

Things start strongly with the intense Powers Of Ten, laden with incessant guitar screeches, squalls and groans, precise drums (and cowbell) and Ben Shemie's hissing vocals through gritted teeth – he sounds remarkably like Clinic's Ade Blackburn. Yet on the synthetic throb of 2020, the haunting lullaby of Edie's Dream and the sterile motorik of Sunspot, the entire aesthetic shifts into Clinic territory to the point that it may be necessary to check that this isn't a pseudonym. And while other elements come into play throughout, they aren't original – latter day Liars lurks in the sterile electronics of Minor Work (although that riff still sounds like it's echoing out of Jonathan Hartley's speakers).

But the weird thing is, despite the apparent lifts from other acts scattered throughout the record, it comes off as quite effective and, due to the choice of  “influences”, nowhere near as derivative as it probably should. The dub drive that infuses the rhythm section's groove on Bambi is near revelatory, a cold beat that's built to keep warm as much as it is to fill a dancefloor, while the pulsating beats on closer Music Won't Save You interweaves with crowd laughter and a dour undertone for a rather poignant outro. Moral of the story? Steal intelligently.