News
Stricken City - Songs About People I Know
3-5 Stars‘Songs About People I Know’ is not without its flaws.
Despite being based in London and having formed in the Midlands, there’s something seemingly quintessentially continental about Stricken City. The misshapen arrangement and disregard for conventional musical structure becomes an insatiable format as standout track ‘Sometimes I Love You’ effortlessly shows a darker side to the four-piece. Accompanied with an accordion, the feeling of lying in the Parisian grass is conjured, with all the painful indifference of a long-suffering tortured heart prevailing in lyrics like ‘Sometimes I’m dead inside / Call me a doctor / Get me out of here quick’.
Juxtaposingly, ‘Five Metres Apart’ is the perfect transition from the lyrical prominence of its predecessor to a quirky upbeat whimsical and toe-tapping gem, as with ‘PS’, which perfectly functions as a platform to demonstrate the warbling brilliance of lead singer, Rebekah Raa’s almost Bjork-esque vocals. Yet, ‘Songs About People I Know’ is not without its flaws. The almost draining nature of final track ‘Terrible Things’ (ironically) finds the pitch of Raa’s vocals grating over melancholy piano notes and the eerie, over-thought capella intro track can be included in these.
What this does do is showcase the diverse capabilities of what is a fairly new band with the perfect balance of innate unconventionality, 80s overtones and an addictive Indie personality, all seemingly fluently fused into an impressive debut that Stricken City should be proud of.
Read More
SXSW 2010: Stricken City, Valhalla, Austin
The trio paint an exploratory portrait of themselves.
26th March 2010, 2:47pm
Stricken City: A True Indie Band
We meet on a sunny Friday afternoon at London's Pure Groove Records.
9th November 2009, 9:31pm
DIY @ Hinterland Festival, Friday 1st May 2009
Did anyone whisper the words 'secret set'? Are venue lights really likely to go out each time the music gets too loud? Here's <b>DIY</b> @ <b>Hinterland</b> day two.
2nd May 2009, 1:55pm
With Rachel Chinouriri, A.G. Cook, Yannis Philippakis, Wasia Project and more!