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Rob Dougan-Furious Angels (Reprise)

I'll give Rob Dougan this, there are not many people out there doing music that is remotely as complicated and multi-faceted as he pulls off in Furious Angels. 

He starts off with the supremely spooky title track, which counters Dougan's seriously frightening lyrics with an electro-pop dance beat, a solemn string section sound and wailing gospel backing vocals.  It approximates the direction Leonard Cohen may be going in today, if he hadn't become a monk. 

"Left Me For Dead" is one of the most chilling post-breakup tunes I've heard, the rage of the vocals is palpable while a composition that feels like a new age space tune roils and slithers underneath. 

"Clubbed to Death" veers back and  forth from a computerized industrial electronica to a delicate music box interlude and sounds like the world's most dangerous car commercial (because it has been used in one).

"There's Only Me" pulls off the not unimpressive feat of approximating what it would sound like if Tom Waits recorded a trip-hop song.  "Will You Follow Me?" is a sweeping instrumental, almost classical in scope. 

Furious Angels certainly isn't easy listening, but it does reward you substantially for taking the trip.  (5/03)

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Copyright © 2003 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: June 8, 2003.