Fuck Buttons: Street Horrrsing

Fuck Buttons begin their first album with a cycle

of twinkling notes, a quiet thread of temptation that holds briefly as currents

of noise, synth chords, and incoherent screams gradually build. The British duo

appreciate subtlety, but can't resist clobbering themselves with textures that

come on like a tidal wave of wet cement, spreading and thickening across

long-stewing chord progressions. Street Horrrsing's first five

minutes—about half of "Sweet Love For Planet Earth"—capture the

exhilaration that comes from using melody to shape a huge mess of static. But

as one track dissolves into another, the wonder starts to flake away a bit. The

bird calls and clickety drumming of "Ribs Out" come on with all the disorientation

of Black Dice and about half the sophistication. Frustration and exhaustion

seem like natural parts of the FB experience: "Okay, Let's Talk About Magic"

and "Bright Tomorrow" can bring hypnotic irritation on one spin and hypnotic

relief on the next. That's a credit to FB's spontaneity and its comfort with

contradictions, especially this one: The album backs up its momentous tone, but

builds too few moments.