Live Forever
Coming off the heels of his highly praised EP ‘Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy’ an eclectic collection of reimagined versions from The National’s catalogue, released via Brassland, D.C.-based musician Bartees Strange sets to break new ground with his debut LP ‘Live Forever’ via Producer Will Yip’s Memory Music label in 2020. Strange grew up in Mustang, Oklahoma, an overwhelmingly white and racist sundown town on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. In Mustang, he says, “I didn’t let myself be seen. I held myself down so I could make people feel more comfortable around me.” Live Forever is a direct and stunning result of this conviction. It’s impossible to divorce the reality of Strange’s personal trajectory from the intricate and idiosyncratic 11-track saga on record: it spans gentle, Moses Sumney-meets-Yves Jarvis minimalism, Killers-ish indie rock vigor with post-punk cracks in its danceable veneer, the throbbing industrial alt-soul of Algiers, Justin Vernon’s acoustic tenderness, and the volatile, unforgiving production and delivery of Death Grips. Simply put, it is a combination that none but Strange could execute under—and as a result of—precise circumstances.
On his fascinating debut album, the D.C.-based musician moves freely through many different styles—arena-rock, folk, rap—creating an album about that freedom as a Black artist and so much more.
From the dynamism of Moses Sumney to the southern rock of Kings of Leon, Bartees Strange's sonic reference points are many…
What a year it's been for Bartees Strange. He kicked it off with Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy, an EP of five captivatingly reimagined covers of...
Geographically speaking, The Woodlands are to Houston what Mustang is to Oklahoma City.
Bartees Strange Live Forever album review by Adam Williams. The ful-length is now out digitally via Memory Records, and vinyl, October 2020
Bartees Strange is still figuring himself out, just like anyone else. It’s a process, and resting on laurels breeds complacency. Born Bartees Cox, Jr., the Washington D.C.-based artist has given himself time to fine-tune things and settle on a musical direction, the realisation of which is anything but straightforward. The 11 songs that make up