Lawrence.com

Boynton Beach, Fla. — Richard Butler, his deep, growling voice the signature of the Psychedelic Furs, sounds nothing like Mick Jagger. And the Furs sound little like the Rolling Stones.

Yet Butler finds a comparison between the bands.

"The difference between the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys is that the Rolling Stones � though we might not like them very much � keep writing new songs," said Butler, 44. "I, God forbid, fall more into the Rolling Stones category."

Twenty-three years after forming and 10 years after breaking up, the Psychedelic Furs are enjoying a renaissance of sorts.

Earlier this year, their "Greatest Hits" disc was released, and recently, the group went on a nationwide tour, performing old favorites like "Pretty In Pink" and "Heartbreak Beat."

But it's not just an oldies tour. The Psychedelic Furs have been sprinkling in new tunes they hope to eventually record for an album.

"It's important to do some new material so you're not just a nostalgia act," Butler said.

Such is the second coming of the Psychedelic Furs � a band that came into the 1980s with a fresh, post-punk sound that pleased critics and developed a loyal following among college radio listeners and MTV viewers.

But by the beginning of the 1990s, the new songs didn't sound as fresh and Butler, the creative heart of the band, grew bored.

"I had been doing it for 12 years and it was no longer exciting," Butler said. "The prospect of recording an album and going on tour, the package just seemed incredibly boring."

The group began in London in 1978 and first made a dent in U.S. music charts in 1981 when their second album, "Talk, Talk, Talk," reached No. 89.

Their third album, "Forever Now," went gold and spawned the hit "Love My Way," which reached No. 44 on the Billboard charts. In 1987, the album "Midnight to Midnight" and single "Heartbreak Beat" both hit the chart's top 30.

Around the same time, the band re-recorded "Pretty In Pink" for the John Hughes movie of the same name. But just four years later, the Psychedelic Furs split up.

"We all needed to take a break and get inspired by each other again," Butler said. "I didn't know that break would take 10 years."

In the interim, Butler formed Love Spit Love, recorded two albums and toured with his new band. His brother, Psychedelic Furs bassist Tim Butler, played on the first album.

The idea for a Psychedelic Furs reunion came last year when Tim asked Richard if he had written any new songs. Richard said he had about 20. His brother told him that was enough for a Psychedelic Furs album.

The group's manager called and suggested the band do a few tour dates with the B-52s. Richard Butler called original Furs guitarist John Ashton, who had been hoping for a reunion.

Now the Butler brothers, Ashton, Love Spit Love guitarist Richard Fortus and The The drummer Earl Harvin are on a 41-date tour as the Psychedelic Furs.

"We could have actually opened for ourselves," Richard Butler said with a laugh, acknowledging that the new Furs have three of the four original Love Spit Love members.

In Boynton Beach, their fourth stop on the tour, about 900 fans turned out at the nightclub Orbit. Most were in their 30s or early 40s, but still displayed the energy of their younger days when the band was first together. Some briefly tried to "mosh" before realizing it wasn't going to catch on. Many others danced, sang along and roared their approval.