Ezra Furman, Transangelic Exodus

Ezra Furman, Transangelic Exodus

Ezra Furman’s “Queer outlaw saga” wowed me at every turn. A concept album about a boy and his lover on the run from the law — after the lover undergoes illegal surgery to become an angel — Furman soars and rages his way through his most impassioned album yet. Fleeing the authorities in a red Camaro, his protagonists continually risk their lives in service to their love for each other and to their true nature. These are powerful, vulnerable songs, teaming with urgency but sweetened by magic. The album’s mysticism has its roots in Furman’s own spirituality — he’s an observant Jew who never performs Friday nights — and he liberally weaves clearly autobiographical elements into the story, which makes it all the more resonant. Like the best concept albums, the story never bogs itself down in plot details, so that its finer points aren’t necessary for the enjoyment of the individual songs. Furman’s new band, the Visions, blends the guitars, sax and drums common to his music with a frenzy of synths and some fantastic electric cello. Highlights: “Love You So Bad,” “No Place,” “Peel My Orange Every Morning”