Ian Blurton’s Future Now Set Nov. 15 Release for Crimes of the City
Comprised of 10 sharp, catchy, tight songs that get in, make their mark on the proceedings, and are gone while the chorus is still imprinting itself on your brain, Crimes of the City is coming in hot for a Nov. 15 release just two years after Ian Blurton’s Future Now offered 2022’s stellar Second Skin (review here). Like that record, the band’s sound centers around a classic rock ideal, and Blurton — guitarist, vocalist, producer of his own projects and so many others, songwriter and here credited with “songplay”; I honestly don’t even know what that means; he recorded all the instruments? — touching on metal in soaring solos and Priestly chug, but here even in comparison to the last record going b-i-g on harmonies and melodic presence.
But where in hands of less skillful craft, that might result in an LP that’s needlessly grandiose or self-indulgent, Blurton as a songwriter strikes a balance between breath and immediacy. The material is heavy but daringly poppish, a succession of mostly uptempo bangers that might not be released in summer but will surely remind of warmer days and brighter suns. Rest assured, that intangible nostalgia is part of what makes it work.
Two songs are up now and as the opener says, “There’s no time to waste,” so have at it. The full thing will apparently stream on Wednesday:
Ian Blurton’s FUTURE NOW Announces New Album Crimes of the City
Ian Blurton’s FUTURE NOW is set to release their highly anticipated new album Crimes of the City this fall, bringing their raw, live energy to a brand-new collection of heavy, guitar-driven rock. The album will be available digitally on October 30, with a limited vinyl and cassette release to follow on November 15 via Toronto’s Pajama Party Records. A run of 300 vinyl records—150 black and 150 blood splatter editions—will be available alongside a super-limited cassette release from Northern Haze.
Produced and recorded by Blurton and FUTURE NOW at Toronto’s ProGold Studios, Crimes of the City strips rock back to its primal roots: Marshall amps, roaring Gibsons, and double-kick drumming. The album’s 10 tracks, spanning just 33 minutes, were recorded to capture the raw power of a live performance, with no autotune, no samples, and no studio tricks. According to Blurton, the goal was to create something “real, human, and visceral.”
“We spent a lot of time on the songs, but once we’d narrowed 20 demos down to 10, we just put them down,” says Blurton. “This time we didn’t want to go crazy with too many mics on everything or get too caught up in editing or overworking things. We just wanted a record that felt really human. We don’t use backing tracks, or any kind of ‘tricks,’ live. It’s just the band. Four people with a lot of very unique and disparate musical experience and some trusty tube amps. And that’s what this record is about.”
Described as a blend of influences like DANZIG, CHEAP TRICK, BUDGIE, and BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, Crimes of the City promises to deliver an unrelenting wave of heavy riffs, soaring harmonies, and hook-laden choruses. Fans of FUTURE NOW’s 2022 album Second Skin will find a leaner, more direct approach on this new release, with a focus on capturing the essence of rock stripped of its excesses.
Also joining the band on Crimes of the City is guest vocalist Gregory Macdonald (SLOAN), who adds lush, Queen-inspired harmonies to the record’s hard-hitting tracks.
Track Listing:
1. Ends Of August
2. House Of Lords
3. Cast Away The Stones
4. Nocturnal Transmissions
5. In Broken Lines
6. School’s In
7. Search For Tomorrow
8. Seventh Sin Of Devotion
9. Halfway Between Heaven And Hell
10. Assailed By The Sun
Blurton and FUTURE NOW will hit the road in November to support the release, with a series of shows across Ontario and Quebec, culminating in an official album release party at Toronto’s The Garrison on November 23.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Sat, Nov 9 – London @ The Rec Room (w/ TUMBLE)
Fri, Nov 15 – Peterborough @ Bar 379 (w/ TUMBLE)
Sat, Nov 16 – Sudbury @ Cosmic Dave’s
Fri, Nov 22 – Hamilton @ The Casbah (w/ THE GOLDEN SHITTERS + TUMBLE)
Sat, Nov 23 – Toronto @ The Garrison (Record Release Party w/ BIBLICAL + TUMBLE)
Thurs, Nov 28 – Ottawa @ House of Targ (w/ DOUBLE TALKER + TUMBLE)
Fri, Nov 29 – Montreal @ Turbohaus (w/ LOW SIXES + SICK THINGS + TUMBLE)
More Canadian dates will follow in 2025.
starring
Glenn Milchem as The Drummer
Anna Ruddick as La Bajista
Aaron Goldstein as Guy With Guitar
Ian Blurton as Himself
and introducing Gregory Macdonald as The Goose
Produced and Directed by Future Now
Songplay: Ian Blurton
Director of Photography: Kelly Shee
Production Designer: Brad Boatright
Visual Effects: Johny Bekavac
Stunt Department: Tom Patterson
Prop Department: Wolfgang Gray
Model Rendering: Louis Durand
Sound recording: ProGold (Toronto)
http://www.facebook.com/ianblurton.futurenow/
http://www.instagram.com/ianblurton
https://ianblurton.bandcamp.com/
