Stricken City- Songs About People I Know (Thu, 22 Oct 2009 Posted at 04:00:00 PM)
Stricken City- Songs About People I Know (The Kora Rec)
A very charming, unassuming disc here, the sort of record that falls between the cracks, usually remaining unnoticed, a sleeper gem in a sea of music by well established bands. While Stricken City may not be a well known name in indie rock circles this side of the pond, this young English outfit doesn't waste anytime grabbing the listeners ears with their quirky brand of alternative pop.
Starting off with an a cappella song recorded on a London bus that sets the mood perfectly for the disc, the music reels you in on track 2 with a jangly guitar song that could have easily been penned in the 80's when new wave ruled the airwaves. A quick listen, 'Songs About People I Know' shows the band exploring art-pop, piano balladry, electronica and plenty of guitar driven unpredictability. Front woman Rebeka Raa has a sweet, delicate voice that matches the bands angular and meticulous pop gems quite nicely, somewhat resembling a young Bjork in the Sugarcubes era.
Taking influences from artists like Sonic Youth, The Sundays, Bow Wow Wow and Talking Heads, this is a quick listen of indie-pop greatness- warm, fuzzy and emanating with radiance and strong songwriting. Already available across the Atlantic, 'Songs About People I Know' hits the US on November 3rd, with two bonus songs not found on the UK version.
