Figures of Light Bring About Garage Punk Fury With Too Many Bills Not Enough Thrills

The proto-punk band Figures of Light is perhaps one of the better genre bending artists to come through this site in a while. In their previously reviewed album, you get a feel for their electronic side, and that’s what listeners most likely figure would be the case for this one, but that’s where worlds collide. You don’t really get that, you get another dose of creativity, this time in the vein of 1970s garage rock and punk rock fuzz. “Too Many Bills, Not Enough Thrills” is definitely a record that will have punk rock enthusiasts playing this over and over again.

From the beginning track of “Too Many Bills, Not Enough Thrills” you get a sense that this is a different record, with full scale production getting toned down. This is not one of those “polished” and overproduced rock records with some suit and tie wearing producer trying to tweak the soundboard. Instead, you get the same kind of punch in the mouth style that made Iggy and The Stooges famous. You can easily fit this alongside the catalog of the Buzzcocks, The Damned, and Iggy Pop with relative ease.

Figures of Light play through 4 songs on this record, each one arranged in pure punk ethos, but not without showcasing some talent on the guitars, and vocals. Throwing out the blueprint that many younger acts try to follow and doing their own thing. On “I Want Money”, “I Give UP”, and “Ides of March” you get a painting that is very much controlled chaos, and that’s what makes this release exciting.

It’s hard to call Figures of Light just one genre, even if proto-punk seems to fit, because this record is so different than their other work. At the same time, they feature familiar steps of creative balance, and garage punk rock that is a testimony. It’s a good record, one that deserves more attention. You can check out the record via amazon.com by clicking here.


Figures of Light - Too Many Bills, Not Enough Thrills - Lyrics Video from Figures of Light Archive on Vimeo.
Figures of Light was an American music band founded in 1970, which disbanded in 2015. This channel features some of their videos as a permanent archive. Check out our website at http://www.figuresoflight.com

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