Big drums, big sounds – yeah, but where's the groove? That seems to be the problem with this fourth record from the Psychedelic Furs, the neohippie, punk-era, have-it-your-way band of Brits. Vocalist Richard Butler continues to sport the odd Bowie touch to complement his lugubrious version of a Johnny Rotten sneer, and the backing still swirls around with more textures than a garment-center sweatshop. The small problem is that it doesn't seem to go anywhere.

The Furs are still capable of commanding an impressive sonic charge: "Here Come Cowboys" certainly sounds direct enough, and "Alice's House" also boasts some Beatle-ish touches. But by the time all the instruments turn up and Butler begins his Brit-on-barbs snooze-singing, the tracks are so murky you're looking for a pillow instead of a dance floor. This is apparently the sound the Furs want, and in that context, workouts like "Heartbeat" and "High Wire Days" have their rococo charms. It's "The Ghost in You," with its dreamy woodwinds and percussion, that figures to be Mirror Moves' most attractive track – but oy, that Butler! "It's gets so hard at times/To take it serious," he moans in "Here Come Cowboys." Yeah, but who's laughing? (RS 423)

CHRISTOPHER CONNELLY