The performance aspect of this best-of collection from Mr. Strange is undoubtedly what gives it such a multi-layered, colourful and unpredictable aura. When you fuse that with the lyrics and stories that lie within, you quite quickly come to understand why the band gave themselves this name.
Electronic Rock
Ghost Polo drives with a genuinely thoughtful aura and a surprisingly heavy and artistic musicality on this latest release. While there are familiar elements to the track – the emo rap vibe, the melancholy mood – for the most part, it paves its own way; adhering to whatever the artist appears to be feeling in each instance.
Anarchy You Can Dance Too is a heavy new track that fuses a thick wall of distorted darkness with gritty and equally dark writing.
That voice is one that never grows tiresome – the sort of raspy yet deep & hypnotic vocal you only stumble upon once or twice in a decade. As the lyrics evolve, the performance intensifies & subsequently falls away, and this progression from the lows to the highs & back is what gives the song this snake-like quality as it slowly surrounds you.
If Ackerman’s guitar playing is fire, then Resurrection’s vocal is ice. Down From Above is two opposing forces of nature that have somehow come together to create a seductive piece of art in Where Angels Fall. It’s a beautifully destructive track that’s enticing in its mysterious uncertainty.
There’s a strong sense of attitude or reflective confrontation to the song. Luani.’s vocals deliver this in a genuine way, seeing moments of delicacy appear rightfully gentle, and seeing those with more intensity appear with authentic grit and volume.
An emotional yet still cinematic journey, into which the leading singer pours soulful poetry – weaving around you a beautifully ambient blanket of warmth. This is a personal favourite from Glorybots to date, and an easy song to escape within.
Teardrops begins with an alluring, yet ambient melody that paints an emotional picture in hues of black and blue reminiscent of a light rainstorm.
1985 is a digitally vibrant collection of songs rightfully inspired by the time offered in its title. The artist Us3r, AKA Kristian, has comprised the project with a certain electronic aura, but within this is an impressive display of songwriting that consistently offers something fresh and new to explore.
3mind Blight toys around with the art-form, with the writing, the effects – the song is partly for all of us, accessible and vague, yet certain moments within the verses take the form of a personal deep-dive into the artist’s own past and his role within this world.
Boo Cat is alternative, for sure – appealing for its edgy weirdness & the way the music & the voices do whatever the hell they need to. At the same time, the melody is undoubtedly something of an ear-worm – I’d be surprised if anyone could walk away not humming at least one line from the song.
The qualities are simply a fusion of absolute creativity, passionate expression, grit and emotion intertwined – the scene setting, the structure, the instrumentation; all of this stands tall on the Ekpyrosis EP.