Track Review: Strangely Alright // Nisqually
Describing themselves as “sonic time-travellers”, the US-based quartet Strangely Alright fuse old-school psychedelia with contemporary indie-pop (and a ton of other stuff in the mix) traversing the world of music. Featured on Eclectic Music Lover, The Other Side Reviews, Rising Artists Blog, Less Than 1000 Followers, Edgar Allan Poets and various online radio stations/playlists, Strangely Alright is reaching audiences across the globe. The latest release from this critically acclaimed band is ‘Nisqually’.
It’s odd to think that while Strangle Alright has been releasing music since 2015, it is only now that I am hearing of them. Alright, so given the millions of artists on Spotify it doesn’t seem all that odd; however, I am shocked at what I was missing before I heard ‘Nisqually’. Following the eight-minute track ‘Alien Lover’, ‘Nisqually’ is a five-minute merging of classic psychedelic rock, contemporary indie-pop and a haze of synths throughout. Think The Who with some Bowie and Pink Floyd and you might have an idea of what we’re talking about.
Combining drums, guitars, synths and rich vocals, ‘Nisqually’ is quite dramatic while retaining a soothing, laidback tone. Listening to this track is like being tipped into a kaleidoscopic sonic whirlpool as you head off on the craziest acid trip (without the acid, of course). The interesting melodic arrangement adds superb textures and tones making it well-crafted but with a twinge of topsy-turviness.
Strangely Alright share that ‘Nisqually’ has a simple message, “…no matter how good or bad your day is, irrespective of the joy or pain present in your life, change and love are, ironically, the only constants.” Penned by Regan Lane (frontman) and Sean Van Demmelen (guitar), this song delicately and elegantly touches on the fragility of the human soul with empowerment in the tender lyrics. I’ve said time and time again that there are feel songs and describe songs. Considering it is extremely difficult to describe Strangely Alright, it is best to make up your own mind by listening to ‘Nisqually’ and feeling it.