The name of Bartees Strange has been around for some years as a great black pop promise, someone who could move into the mainstream at any moment. And there are no shortage of reasons for these predictions if we look at the phenomenal previews that have been coming out in dribs and drabs of their next album, ‘Horror’, scheduled for February 2025.
In Spain we were able to see him a little over a year ago supporting The National, where he exhibited his eclectic mix (he calls it “sonic pastiche”) of styles and influences: hip-hop, but also rock in the style of Neil Young (of whom his father was a big fan), Funkadelic or Fleetwood Mac.
His childhood experiences as the son of an opera singer and an American soldier stationed halfway around the world, in addition to his experience as a queer teenager growing up in a rural community, have influenced his art. A musical career that began as a musician in hardcore bands.
‘Horror’ is about fear as the common thread of Bartees’ life: it is inspired by the scary stories that his family told him as a child or the horror movies that he loved as a young man to overcome his difficulties and become strong. Among its advances, the very Prince and the Revolution chorus of ‘Lie 95’ stands out, but the real gem at the moment is this spectacular ‘Sober’, our Song of the Day today, which begins with an obvious nod to Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ but that evolves into a surprising chorus full of “power chords” and super eighties guitar riffs. A song that could have been a hit 40 years ago but maybe also in 2025.
