Nov 17 2014

[Download] Strangers cover Shakespeare’s Sister’s ‘Stay’

The reigning champs of epic and emotional British Pop, Strangers, are currently holed up in their studio putting the finishing touches to their eagerly awaited début full length record. Whilst the album is given all due spit and polish, Dave took a breather to indulge himself in this cover version. We gotta’ say, taking on Shakespeare’s Sister’s Stay is pretty fucking brave. The track is so imbued with Siobhan and Marcella’s personality that all you can do is completely make it your own, and that can be hard with such a defining track. Let’s see how Strangers does.

Dave doesn’t;t even try to ape Shakespeare’s Sister (which is probably a good plan), preferring to take an amazing well written song and treat it like it came straight out of Stranger’s studio. The vocals are given a bar-room bluesy treatments that pairs nicely with the tracks haunting piano. The piano, of course, soon gives way to a symphony of pulsating electronic bass and rising synth riffs set to a skippy vintage drum pattern. Thanks Dave; that’ll do nicely until Raife has finished mixing the album, now get on with it!

♫ Strangers – Stay (Shakespear’s Sister Cover) (Demo.)

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Apr 3 2014

[Audio] Strangers’ ‘Wolf At The Door’

Big beats and moody warbles up now with the new single from UK SynthPop heroes Strangers. Still riding high on the success of their Close EP and a whole heap of acclaimed track last year, the guys unleash their new tune, Wolf At The Door, already set to do bit things when it is released this summer.

Wolf At The Door injects a little groove into Strangers optimistic melancholy (yes, that’s a thing). A swirl of heady synths set to a huge beat with a head nodding swing, this new single grabs you by the ears and doesn’t let go until it’s done. Epic electronics, energy and emotion (the three E’s!) fill every second of Wolf At The Door as it delivers good stuff for your feet, head and heart. Why aren’t Strangers dead famous yet?

♫ Strangers – Wolf At The Door

Strangers’ Wolf At The Door is released 2nd June.

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Nov 29 2013

[Download] Strangers’ ‘Divine’

So, y’know London SynthPop superheroes Strangers have been releasing a free track at the beginning of each month for the last few months? The last five months to be exact. Well, as we head into December, the guys have collected these tracks as the Close EP, due for release at the start of next month. I know what you’re thinking; ‘I’ve already downloaded those songs for free’, well just hold your horses, there’s more! The EP comes equipped with an exclusive new track, an acoustic version of Fires and a new reMix of Something New from Jack Robert Hardman. You can listen to the new tune right here, and you should, ‘cos it’s well good.

Divine features Lou Bird, and brings to the EP a swirl of lush synths set atop shuffling R&B-esque beats. Sounding distinctly ‘London’, Divine meshes Strangers typically majestic SynthPop with an electronic, urban feel. Strangers do everything big, and Divine is no exception, stuffed to busting point with rich tones and layers of backing vocals. They’re like HURTS, but better. Because HURTS turned into sad rock posers (thanks Dita Von Teese, we know that was your fault) and we have a feeling that Strangers will be (as they say in old London town) ‘keeping it real’.

♫ Strangers (Feat. Lou Bird) – Divine

Strangers’ Close EP is released 10th December.

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Nov 1 2013

[Download] Strangers’ ‘London Lights’

“This ain’t New York, This ain’t Vegas, But we’ll go wherever this night takes us” begins UK SynthPop heroes Strangers’ ode to London town. It’s November, which means there’s just this tune, and then December’s tune, until then end of Strangers free-track-a-month project. Now, we haven;t got a crystal ball or anything, but we’ve got our fingers and toes crossed for December’s contribution to be a cover of Wham!’s Last Christmas. Just sayin’.

Shimmering 90s beat meld with rich 80s synths in one of Strangers finest tracks to date. A love song both to a person and to a city, David’s urgent, dramatic, vocals lend the track a cinematic quality as the track rushes along, taking you with it. That’s not to say it’s a fast tune, it’s isn’t (gliding over a mid-tempo, slightly R&B, rhythm) but it’s theme of running-into-the-night drives the song’s emotional core and gives the layers of warm synth work a frantic quality. A big, inspiring, track. This one is Power-SynthPop at it’s finest.

♫ Strangers – London Lights

Strangers’ London Lights is available for download now.

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Oct 2 2013

[MP3] Strangers’ ‘Fires’

OK, so, where are we now? It’s October already? How time flies. So that’s only three more months of free tracks from London SynthPop heroes Strangers before X-mas. We’d better crack on with October’s then. It’s called Fires, as usual you can download it from Strangers’ website, and it’s very autumnal.

How is it autumnal? Well, it’s hard to put your finger on what it is, but it’s kinda’ melancholy, and kinda’ crunchy too. That’s autumn, right? Easing you in with some brooding piano and shuffling purcussion, Strangers soon pull out all the stops to deliver a rousing SynthPop beast that seems to rise and rise in it’s dramatic structure. The now familiar elements of Strangers Industrial rhythms, cinematic instrumentation and unusually infectious groove are all present and correct, but seem to get slicker and slicker with each release. I’ve just realised there’s is easily an albums worth of Strangers material out there now, so I’m off to make a pretend Strangers album.

♫ Strangers – Fires

Strangers’ Fires is available for download now.

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Sep 12 2013

[Video] Strangers’ ‘No Longer Lost’

No Longer Lost, August’s entry in London SynthPoppers Strangers a-free-track-every-month-until-X-mas initiative, has only gone and got itself a music video! The Charli Rouse featruing track gets a clip with proper narrative too!

Directed by Leo Neelands & Jim Parsons, the video is proper Channel 4 weird urban Sci-Fi that, appears to star Le Cassette’s Adam Mcnab.

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Sep 4 2013

[Audio] Strangers’ ‘Don’t Lie To Me’

Last week we wrote a little something about London SynthPoppers Strangers’ cover of Arctic Monkeys’ Why’d You Only Call Me When Your High?, a free download that we mentioned was September’s instalment in Strangers’ free-track-every-month-until-X-mas effort. That was a massive lie, because here, three days later, is September’s actual free track, Don’t Lie To Me. What can we learn from this? Strangers never sleep, that’s what.

Don’t Lie To Me is Strangers hitting going gritty. It’s a dark, sleazy tune in the tradition of the best 80s SynthPop. Pounding Industrial beats, growling bass synths and screaming drones make up the soundtrack as David delivers his vocals with an undercurrent of Dave Gahan-esque aggression. In fact, this is the most Depeche Mode-like tune from Strangers to date, and that’s no bad thing, especially as with their contemporary influences and David’s unique voice the cam take the DM sound and really make it their own.

♫ Strangers – Don’t Lie To Me

Don’t Lie To Me will be available to download next week.

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Aug 30 2013

[MP3] Strangers cover Arctic Monkey’s ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When Your High?’

London’s finest SynthPoppers Strangers continue their quest to bring you a free track every month between now and X-mas. Having previously brought you Sense Of Liberty for July and No Longer Lost in August, and early entry for September delivers a cover of Arctic Monkeys’ Why’d You Only Call Me When Your High?. Can you imagine it? Well, you don;t have to, ‘cos here it is.

This is how you make a song your own. We’re not overly familiar with the original, but we’re pretty sure it wasn’t built out of ominous bass synths and shuffling, clicking machine beats. The whole track here sounds like it’s layered with an air of danger, from the growling synths to the frantic Drum & Bass finale, the track breathes out a nervous tension that makes the song itself, expertly delivered by David, sound slightly menacing. Three months down.Three to go..

♫ Strangers – Why’d You Only Call Me When Your High? (Arctic Monkeys Cover)

You can download Why’d You Only Call Me When Your High? in exchange for an email address here. Stranger’s latest single, Something New, is out now.

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Aug 2 2013

[MP3] Strangers’ ‘No Longer Lost’

Last month, London’s finest SynthPop outfit Strangers, launched their free-track-every-month-until-Xmas project with Sense Of Liberty. Sticking to their harshly self-inflicted schedule, the first of the month has roller around again and here we are with track two of the series, No Longer Lost. We’re just hoping that, like a big extended musical advent calendar, they are saving their best for an Xmas treat. Even though we’re in the middle of a July heatwave, there something festive about countdowns to December.

No Longer Lost is a track that injects the typical Strangers sweeping SynthPop sound with a slight Industrial grind, whilst maintaining euphoric Pop sensibilities. Featuring accompanying vocals from Charli Rouse, the machine beats and harsh bassline play nicely against an uplifting bright synth hook and and defiantly optimistic vocals. Rouse’s vocals and a nice sweet touch to the pumping emotional blitzkrieg, allowing the track to deliver something that works on multi levels.

♫ Strangers (Feat. Charli Rouse) – No Longer Lost

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Jul 1 2013

[MP3] Strangers’ ‘Sense Of Liberty’

The UK’s finest epic SynthPoppers Strangers will be keeping your ears busy over the coming months. Today, we are proud to première, the first in a series of monthly free tune the guys are delivering. Six in all are incoming, once a month from now until X-mas, which basically means they are spending the rest of the year recording free tunes, just for you. By December they should be on all you X-mas card lists!

Sense Of Liberty is the first of the monthly gifts. Typically Strangers in it’s grandiose, bombastic take on SynthPop. It’s tracks like this that lead us to believe Strangers need to be playing stadiums as soon as possible, their music is just so epic, the kind of songs that would just be unbelievably euphonic to sing-a-long with a massive crowd to. Sense Of Liberty packs in buzzing apreggios, vintage beats, and a big, sweeping, string section that underpins David’s anthemic vocal. It;s unbelievable that these Strangers haven’t charted in the UK yet, but that’s only a matter of time, meanwhile they are more concerned with keeping you lot entertained with freebies. Now say thanks with an email address.