The Psychedelic Furs - Made of Rain review: New wave favourites bring doom and glitter on long-awaited return

Lockdown has changed the world as we know it, so it’s nice to have some consistency — thankfully The Psychedelic Furs are on hand to provide it.

They found their sound a long time ago, emerging as one of the more pop-centric new wave acts of the early Eighties. Even after a break of nearly three decades between albums, the formula hasn’t changed too much.

The productions on Made of Rain, their eighth collection and first since 1991, are dripping in doom and glitter, with crashing drums, arena-sized guitar sounds and distinctive vocals from singer Richard Butler.

Don’t Believe has a vitality and intensity, but some of the more forgettable tracks can drift by in a haze of chorus guitars and swirling arrangements. Tracks like Come All Ye Faithful come across as a little flabby and unfocused, but there are things to enjoy too.

The wistful Hide the Medicine and the yearning This’ll Never Be Like Love are both album highlights, making the collection a positive return overall. Even if their brand of new-wave sound doesn’t feel so new in 2020, it’s nice to have them back.