Not to be confused with The Fuse (singular, from LA) or The Short Fuses (the punk'n'roll band with the lady), it's The Fuses. I'll be honest. I yoinked this as soon as it came in because it had a playable cover, which is a pretty fucking cool thing. The packaging is impeccable. The songs? Ehh, so-so. "If the Communists Don't Dance" is jangly, androgynous, repetitive and disaffected. "The Fix Was In" continues the art-holeing. It gets right to the edge of being interesting, of exploding all over, then it recedes. "The Poor Need Opera" has a sparkle of Gang of Four angularity, but it just seems so, well, very not dangerous or risky but calculated: too much head, not enough heart. The cover song (in two senses of the word – it's on the cover and it's a cover of Fashion) is the best of the bunch. Spastic, jumpy, and short. It's never the best sign that my favorite song is written by someone else. Fair, but I doubt I'll be playing this much. I'll just be showing people the playable cover.
–todd (Slamdance Cosmopolis)