Popstrangers - Antipodes
- Written by Danielle Gibson
New Zealand trio Popstrangers formed in 2009 and began releasing singles on the renowned record label Flying Nun. This month they are releasing their debut album, Antipodes, and what a debut it is. The album sounds as though you are listening to something habitually ‘90s; ‘What Else Could They Do’ sounds like authentic ‘90s garage rock and feels as though they should be performing on an early episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Although you can tell that these guys are at times channeling Radiohead, if you dig a little deeper it’s clear they are attempting their own sound with remarkable songs like ‘Jane’, where guitars are out of tune, random noises slot into the clash of sounds and it becomes something which is solely Popstrangers.
‘Heaven’ contains a psychedelic grunge aesthetic in which you fall into a daze listening to the clashing vocals, guitars and drums. Flyger’s vocals are hallucinogenic and haunting. The whole album technically shouldn't work; it’s a clashing of vocals and chords; but funnily enough it does, particularly 'In Some Ways'. It begins extrinsic and out of place, but eventually nuance begins to surface just to have the crashing drums throw it off again. The introduction of the vocals brings it all together and makes this song triumphant.
Leading us out is the mellow ‘Occasion’. It’s the come down from the high of the album. The dreary bass and lulling vocals pull you into the funk of Flyger’s lyrics “What holds my head” is one way to put this song. Antipodes is depressing, entrancing and dark, but Popstrangers make their debut one that you certainly won’t forget.
Antipodes is out on February 25 and available from amazon
and iTunes.
