Stray

Bambaras second release on Wharf Cat Records isnt a radical departure from the first, 2018s Shadow on Everything, but it is most certainly a refinement. Active for over a decade, the Brooklyn-based trios sound has evolved from shadowy noise rock to a much more focused, direct sort of gothic post-punk, foregrounding Reid Batehs bitter, brutal lyrics about seedy characters who constantly seem to be one wrong move away from a horrible, unforgiving tragedy. Stray is the bands longest album to date, at 43 minutes, but it actually feels more concise. The ten-song outing is more developed than the groups previous records, and the songs seem to have more bite to them. Bateh is clearly coming into his own as a writer of brilliantly evocative miniature street dramas, and his pacing and delivery are sharper and more charismatic than ever. Even when he sounds like a stoned rambler, theres so much conviction to the way he describes filthy city scenes and despicable back-room antics that it drives the narratives rather than derails them. He punctuates many of the verses with an exuberant Huh!, and it sounds like hes casting demons outward. One can just imagine him performing these songs, bashing around and projecting sweat everywhere, yet maintaining a cool sense of composure. Bambara seem more versatile, effortlessly moving from the woozy, low-down noir of opener Miracle to the twangy death-surf of songs like Heat Lightning and Ben & Lily. The production gives everything a hazy, ethereal glow, but it makes all of the blazing guitar riffs and pounding drums resonate, rather than washing them out. Easily the bands most accomplished album to date. ~ Paul Simpson