Strange Relations - Editorial You (2017)

The two members of Strange Relations – Casey Sowa and her girlfriend Maro Helgeson – have crafted something truly refreshing with their new release, Editorial You. It’s captivating and gently energetic, which immediately sets it apart from more run of the mill acts that might model themselves similarly to Strange Relations.

Strange Relations has a curious sound, and it wouldn’t do well to try and fit this band in a mold. The drums feature prominently in the music, which is a gentle yet persistent alternative/ indie rock. The bass line combines well with the persistent drumming, with the latter actually performed by the band’s vocalist, Casey Sowa. There are even some inventive synth beats on the album, like on the track called NBE.

Thematically, the release feels dark at times, but in an artistic and pleasant fashion. On the track called “Sure,” Sowa takes some of the themes of confidence from elsewhere on the album and casts them in a starkly grim light of anxiety, singing, “If I don’t say anything at all, can I still regret it the same way?”

Still, even if the release goes dark at times, it is held together by a string of self confidence that the band members have explained is very much intentional.

For instance, on the track called “Flight Instinct,” which is easily a standout track from the album, Sowa sings, “If I don’t like a truth, is there a way to change it?” In her question – as on the rest of the album – she mixes blind nihilism with self confidence and makes it something actionable and thought provoking.

The vocals sometimes sound like they are being combined with a bit too much electronics to really grasp their full force as much as possible, but when the vocals do isolate themselves from the rest of the music, it’s welcome in that Sowa has a very listenable voice.