Bartees Strange Bringing His ‘Neighborhood’ of Music to The Independent
Photo Credit: Elizabeth De La Piedra
Listening to Bartees Strange is like being lost in the ultimate mixtape.
Sounds, tones and genres shift effortlessly—with the experience taking the listener on the long journey from lonely, austere indie rock to brash, murky hip-hop beats, oftentimes within the span of one single song.
That virtuosic range might seem daunting for most artists, but for Strange (born Bartees Cox, Jr.) that omnivorous appetite for sound comes easily—almost too easily.
“I’ve realized that the things that I do that are easy for me, are hard for other people, but the things that a lot of other people do are so hard for me,” said Strange. “I hear artists like Andy Shauf and Cass McCombs and The Weather Station and how they create this singular space—like a band in a bedroom in a house, whereas my music is like the whole neighborhood. I admire that focus so much—I’d really like to try that. I was talking to my manager the other day about making an album that’s just guitar—and honestly, that would be such a challenge for me.”
Strange’s latest album, this year’s “Horror,” is another example of his neighborhood approach to record-making, with an astonishing blend of styles represented. On Sunday, Strange will bring that daringly eclectic mix to San Francisco, for a headlining performance at the Independent.
While his latest album might have a menacing title (Strange is admittedly a big fan of the horror movie genre), the record is more notable for his ability to convey pathos, vulnerability and endearing self-reflection.
The lead single, “Sober,” is a perfect example of that craftsmanship. A wrecking ball power pop number, the track catalogs Strange’s struggles to maintain stable relationships, an affliction of connection that leads him to screaming the cathartic chorus line, “That's why it's hard to be sober!”
“That song is about this feeling where you just can’t get it right—it could be about a relationship with anyone,” said Strange. “No matter how you try to make things different or change the circumstances, you can’t do it, and you have to deal with the consequences on your own, which is scary.”
While Strange has always been an emotional open book, “Horror” showcases him at his most honest and brave, detailing his uneven and uncomfortable experiences being a Black, queer artist in today’s society.
In “17,” a flitting, slow-building coming-of-age ballad, Strange sings about “The first time that I felt impending doom/Was realizing I’m too Black for the room,” and on “Baltimore,” a mournful, Americana number, he laments the alternative futures that were either denied or unavailable to him.
Strange’s father was in the military, and his family moved around—a lot—when he was a child, relocating from areas in Germany, England and even Greenland, before settling in Mustang, Oklahoma. Strange said that “Baltimore” in particular is a reaction to that nomadic lifestyle, although the song plays out more as a wistful fantasy than as a defiant declaration.
“The cool thing about growing up in so many places is that I’m really good at adjusting,” said Strange. “But at this point, I’m probably rebelling against my upbringing. I really want to just live in one place and build a community, but now it’s like—where can I do that. That song is mostly about me sorting out the lives I don’t have or can’t have, for whatever reasons.”
Those kinds of earnest lamentations are found throughout “Horror” and they’re made all the more poignant by Strange’s impassioned vocal delivery, which can range from howling to hushed in a manner of moments. But what truly makes “Horror” special is the dazzling array of sounds scattered throughout the record—reflective of Strange’s “neighborhood” approach to album making.
“Hit it Quit It,” is a slinky funk number that explodes into a noise-rock hurricane, “Too Much” is a neo-soul statement, “Lovers” is an IDM banger and “Norf Gun” is a skittering, staccato hip-pop tune.
A residual sonic cloudiness clings to most of the songs on the album, providing an apt feeling of unease that mirrors Strange’s expressions of self-doubt and self-explorations. That ruddiness evaporates, however, for the triumphant final track, “Backseat Banton,” an Earth, Wind & Fire-indebted exhortation that finds Strange in a place of acceptance and relative peace.
“Over the course of the record, I was singling out these things that would help me get over the finish line, which is basically the realization of ‘Backseat Banton,’” said Strange. “Before, I was the backseat lover and now I want to drive—I understood that I wanted more control. In ‘17’ I might have been that inner child who was scared, but by the end of the album, I’m the person I want to be.”
Strange said he’s excited to share his new batch of songs with San Francisco, a city that he said has always embraced him and his band.
“My last show in San Francisco was one of my favorites from my last tour,” said Strange. “I love the city—I love that part of California. There is so much history, so much great music—I can’t wait to come back.”
Show Details:
Bartees Strange with Trè Burt, Zelma Stone
Where: The Independent
When: 8 p.m., Sunday, May 11
Tickets: $32, available here.