Chaos, nihilism, rulebreaking – all best avoided when governing a country, yet prized in pop. Nothing lasts forever though. Maybe we’re already in a bizarro era of war as peace and ignorance as strength. It may explain why Bartees Strange, the queer American rocker known for anarchic, genre-mashing indie, is now produced by Jack Antonoff, whose aesthetic is earnest, playlist-friendly craftsmanship. The results are frustrating. Nearly every one of these 12 tracks has something to commend, but there’s a persistent inability to spin fleeting moments into a compelling song.
The spectre of Yves Tumor’s solipsistic rhapsodies hangs over Horror, but painted in a timid shade. The quiet-LOUD-quiet trick is played repeatedly, although there’s little reward in taking savage left turns if you always end up in the same place. It doesn’t help that Strange’s squalling guitar is erratically mixed: on Wants Needs it hints at peak Thurston Moore, but it’s far too attenuated on Sober. Baltimore is better, the tension between its pugnacious, distorted solo and Strange’s vulnerable introspection playing well. And the gloriously savage Prince-at-CBGB Loop Defenders is a treat. Horror may be uneven, but Strange will always be worth another try – unlike other American experiments.
