Lucky for us Nashvillians, Ezra Furman and The Harpoons stopped by 12th and Porter earlier this week to provide our Sunday-Night ears with some pleasure. Ezra Furman are a group of young men from Chicago, IL who are in the midst of their tour with a Nashville favorite, The Apache Relay.

Ezra Furman and his lovely Harpoons have the sort of organic folk sound that melds somewhere with grunge and feels a little bit more upbeat (yet slightly more angsty than mopey.) The scrawny (and, well, sexy) front man has a voice that does and will continue to distinguish him from his peers: it's raw and distraught, but pleading for all the same things everyone else is pleading for: love, hope, truth, etc. Because the sound and lights at Nashville's 12th and Porter are some of the best you'll find in a tiny club anywhere in the country, it was easy to be enchanted by the intelligence and nonchalance of this group.



When Furman speaks, it's clear there is a provoking thoughtfulness to his lyrics and music, and as soon as he starts singing, it's almost hard to believe it's the same person that just spoke. The rest of the guys (Andrew Langer – Guitar, Job Mukkada – Bass, Adam Abrutyn – Drums) blend and support Furman with ease---slinking into the lights of the club and helping maintain the energy of the always-jealous Nashville audience.

Furman reminds me of a perkier Isaac Brock when he yowls, and there’s a certain earnestness in his voice that seems to linger. I’m still not sure if I’ll put the record on repeat, but the crew is definitely worth checking out, and there’s a good chance these guys won’t be disappearing anytime soon.