Strays＜Flexi Purple Swirl Vinyl＞

Margo Price begins Strays by declaring that shes been to the mountain and back, a proclamation she pairs with a stylized, amorous throb thats equal parts new wave and classic rock. That statement and that sound make it clear that Strays finds Price continuing to wander far afield from the traditional country of her 2016 debut Midwest Farmers Daughter, developing a distinctive synthesis of a variety of styles that cant quite be pegged as Americana. Sharp, incisive songwriting remains at the heart of her music, allowing Price to weave different sounds and rhythms into her probing, emotionally open songs. Certain lines strike the air as possibly autobiographical but shes kept the confessions to her memoir, Maybe Well Make It. Here, shes telling stories, slightly emphasizing atmosphere over individual tracks. Which isnt to say that the songs on Strays blend together: theyre distinct creatures that are interconnected. After launching the albums journey with "Been to the Mountain," she slides into the road-weathered "Light Me Up" with the assistance of Heartbreaker Mike Campbell whose solos help give the song some grit. Sharon Van Etten takes an opposite tactic on the subsequent "Radio," allowing Price to accentuate hooks that wouldve been radio-ready in the glory days of AOR. Price often circles this classicist sound, modernizing the retro vibe with precise, shimmering production along with a subtle reliance on groove; the album flows so well because it has a palpable, soulful pulse. Everything changes with "Lydia" and "Landfill," a pair of searching, nocturnal, neo-folk songs that serves as a kind of epilogue at the end of the album, concluding Strays on a somewhat uneasy note that is ultimately a sign of Prices confidence: Sometimes a melancholy finale suits a good time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

ポップに振った前作を踏まえたうえで軌道修正しつつ新境地を開拓。カントリー～ウエストコースト・ロックを基軸としながら、ファンキーなロックンロール、ブルース、トラッド・フォーキーなバラードと楽曲の振り幅はなかなかのもの。プロデュースを担当したジョナサン・ウィルソンらしいサイケ風味もうっすらと。電子ビートも使ったポップ・ナンバー"Radio"ではシャロン・ヴァン・エッテンと歌声を重ねる。
bounce (C)山口智男