Ian Blurton’s Future Now
Second Skin
Seeing Red Records
Canadian musician and producer Ian Blurton has returned with his debut album, Second Skin, from his current project Future Now. Consisting of Blurton on lead vocals and guitar, Future Now consists of drummer Glenn Milchem (Blue Rodeo), bassist Anna Ruddick (City And Colour), and guitarist Aaron Goldstein. Capturing a vintage tone, Second Skin was recorded using the legendary Rolling Stones Mobile Studio (Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main Street and Led Zeppelinβs III and IV), along with guitars formerly owned by Randy Bachman and amps from Neil Young.
Opening with the psychedelic, acid washed doom of βLike A Ghostβ, Blurton and Future Now immediately set the tone and stoke excitement for their debut. The riff heavy track feels unearthed as if it was pulled from a lost reel from the β70s that saw a collision between The Stooges and Black Sabbath. By large, βLike A Ghostβ is a kick ass opening track that will pull in listeners with raw fervor as the strongest song on the album. The following title track comes close to this, however, as βSecond Skinβ offers a progressive sonic journey over the course of seven minutes brimming with bombast as the band approaches thrash metal with a rich sense of melody. If βSecond Skinβ demonstrates anything, it is that Blurton is not afraid to put creative risks at the forefront of his songwriting, and when he does so, Future Now soars with a sense of reckless abandon.
While there are many strong songs and shining moments across Second Skinβs nine tracks, the record struggles to live up to the massive highs of the opening three songs. In addition to βLike A Ghostβ and βSecond Skinβ, βThe Power Of Noβ is an exceptional example of stoner rock, so much so that youβd wrongly assume that Tony Iommi was playing the sludgy riff creating a genuine atmosphere of doom. While there is plenty of this found throughout the album β from the massive drum into of βOrchestrated Illusionsβ, the haunting instrumental breaks on βBeyond Beholds The Moonβ, and the massive choruses of the closing βTrails To The Gate/Second Skin Repriseβ β much of Second Skin falls into less adventurous territory than its high points. Polished harmonies, major keys, and the abundance of harmonized dual guitar lines leave Second Skin feeling as though Blurton is longing for the β80s without the precision to make his nostalgia stick.
Ian Blurtonβs Future Now shines bright despite an inconsistent debut record. Second Skin catches the band at their strongest when they dig deep into darker and grittier tones with songwriting that takes creative risks, creating a raw sense of danger. It is this element that makes Blurtonβs Future Now stand out among the growing new wave of classic rock inspired music. Had Second Skin been an EP collecting the absolute best of its nine songs, Blurton very well could have been sitting on an incredible debut release. Instead, Second Skin stands as a solid release that should excite fans to see when Blurton and his latest band will go next.
ArtistΒ Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: IAN BLURTON’S FUTURE NOW – SECOND SKIN
Gerrod Harris