ARTIST.....: STRFKR
TITLE......: Future Past Life
LABEL......: Polyvinyl
GENRE......: Indie
RIP DATE...: 2020-04-10
RETAIL DATE: 2020-04-10
RUNTIME....: 36:08
SIZE.......: 84,42 MB
QUALITY....: 320Kbps 44.1kHz
ENCODER/CODEC: LAME - MP3 (MPEG-2 AUDIO LAYER 3)
URL........: https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Blt36eex3ryxfppzxlyjaomuale
Track List:
01. Dear Stranger 4:31
02. Never The Same 2:33
03. Deep Dream 3:40
04. Second Hand 3:30
05. Better Together 2:13
06. Budapest (feat. Shy Boys) 3:28
07. Palm Reader 1:55
08. Sea Foam 3:38
09. Pink Noise 4:53
10. Cold Comfort 5:47
Release Notes:
https://starfucker.bandcamp.com/
STRFKR has always been a constantly evolving entity,
growing over the years from rambunctious beginnings into
the manicured electro-pop perfection they exhibited on
their last studio album, 2016í»s pristine Being No One,
Going Nowhere. New album Future Past Life breaks new
ground, dialing back some of the high-gloss production
theyí»re known for to craft songs that are stripped
down, spaced out and somehow as visceral as they are
dream-like. STRFKR goes deeper into these songs by
breaking them down to their essential elements, finding
a new immediacy when working with raw materials.
Much like the music on Future Past Life, the way the
album came together is strange and winding. In 2014,
STRFKRí»s principal songwriter/lead vocalist Josh Hodges
was staying in Amsterdam for a few months, working on
the music that became Being No One, Going Nowhere. By
complete chance, a European traveller who was crashing
at Hodgesí» house in L.A. while he was abroad connected
him with some like-minded musicians in Amsterdam,
Mathias Janmat and David Hoogerheide. Even though they
were more or less strangers, the three musicians clicked
almost instantly, coming up with new songs within the
first few hours of meeting. They got together to work on
new ideas several times while Hodges was in Amsterdam,
and the new Dutch collaborators even ended up
contributing to the STRFKR song í░Tape Machineí▒. Hodges
made his way back to the States, but as time passed he
found himself returning to the songs from those
Amsterdam sessions. Ultimately the band decided that
material was so inspired and magical, it was something
that needed to be heard. Honing in on the vibe of those
songs, they were able to reinterpret those demos into
something new, retaining the core elements of their
sound as they routed it into new territory.
Having returned to Portland after living for a time in
L.A., Hodges finished the album in his new home studio,
getting input abroad from Janmat and Hoogerheide and at
home from bandmates Shawn Glassford and Keil Corcoran to
help flesh out the final renderings. For the first time
on a STRFKR album, every song is driven by acoustic
guitar as synth melodies take on a more supportive role.
Rough-edged mixes push the drums into the red and trade
cleaner production for an atmospheric lo-fi approach.
Lead single "Never The Same" is warm and direct, with a
straightforward delivery that highlights how vulnerable
the band's lyrics can be. This kind of careful, hushed
energy is new territory for STRFKR. Going out on this
ledge results in one of the band's most rewarding songs,
one that's mysterious and lush but as intense as a
secret being whispered in your ear. The multiple viral
melodies of í░Deep Dreamí▒ twist ecstatically as
reverb-coated percussion and distant ambient textures
add to the otherworldly vibe. í░Budapestí▒ locks into an
airy groove, washed over by waves of angelic vocal
harmonies from Polyvinyl labelmates Shy Boys. The entire
album feels stuck on a cloud somewhere between
earthbound rhythms and alien song structures doused in
echo.
The immaculate but danceable pop that has long been
STRFKRí»s calling card is pushed into exciting new
places on Future Past Life. On past records, heavy
lyrical themes and darker undercurrents could get
obscured by infectious hooks, but here minimal
arrangements cut to the emotional center of the songs.
Ití»s a strange and beautiful sonic environment, one
that finds STRFKR growing as they embrace the chance and
spontaneity that brought these songs about in the first
place.