Ezra Furman - "Power of the Moon"

Photo by Eleanor Petry

Every song Ezra Furman releases is completely unique and while they're related to each other, they all have their own sound. Her latest single, "Power of the Moon," is based in 60's pop and psychedelia, but in Furman's own original way. The guitar might be my favorite part of the song. It has such a 60's garage rock sound to it that fits in perfectly with Furman's vocals and the overall groovy sound to the song. The song also has an oddly disjointed quality making it so that it's not a throwback song at all. It has a completely modern sound, with only its roots being in the past. "Power of the Moon" is such an interesting blend of garage rock, power pop, psychedelic rock, and indie rock that I can't imagine this one not winning over any listener.

Ezra Furman says of her latest single:

“I took over five years writing this song. I’m not saying that makes it good, but it does mean that it means a lot to me. It’s another in my series of songs that make sweeping declarations about 'the human mind' (cf. 'Ordinary Life,' 'Poor Girl A Long Way From Heaven').

"The lyric is me taking on a problem I’ve had all my life: I believe in God and I can’t explain why to anyone; I don’t even understand it myself. I have no evidence, no argument and no doubt. I think it might just be the kind of brain that I have, one with a need to 'take the frame from the painting / and let the colors bleed out into the room.' I love a diffuse God, one who is everywhere, underlying everything, and who absolutely does not fit into my little consciousness with all its rational rules. My God makes no sense. That’s one thing I love about her. That’s how I know she’s much bigger than anything we could have invented.

"When things stop making sense, that’s when the world of night has its hooks in you. That’s when the moon takes over. You wake up one day and you realize you can never really understand anything, and then you’re into the poetic, under the power of the moon.

"This spirituality of mine has, annoyingly, not alleviated the existentialist nausea I’ve always felt. I’m overwhelmed by this God-haunted world. The train is on its way to flatten you. The blues come around to devastate you. But I find myself enjoying this nauseous life anyway. Especially when we get a good drum machine going and Jorgen plays a hypnotic bass line and then Sam and Ben come in with their perfect parts and existence feels like a real cool time.

"Amazingly, somewhere within me I believed that this could add up to a hit song. God, what’s my problem?”

You can watch the video for "Power of the Moon" below. Goodnight Small Head is due out May 16 on Bella Union, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Ezra Furman, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

7/8: Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

7/9: St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam

7/10: Des Moines, IA @ Lefty’s Live Music

7/13: Indianapolis, IN @ Turntable

7/14: Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups

7/15: Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre

7/16: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom

7/17: Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch

8/3: San Diego, CA @ Music Box

8/5: Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom

8/6: Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe’s Alley

8/7: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

8/10: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom

8/12: Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre

8/13: Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile

10/20: Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre

10/21: Toronto, ON @ The Axis Club

10/22: Troy, NY @ No Fun

10/23: Portland, ME @ State Theatre

10/26: Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom

10/27: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

10/28: Washington, DC @ Union Stage

10/29: New York, NY @ Webster Hall