Wants Needs Bartees Strange has returned with his latest album, entitled Horror. The ultra-talented multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter maps out an intricate collection of songs that showcase the depths he’s willing to go to tell a vivid story about his life and set the course for where he plans to go next in his sound. The press release shared that, “His family used scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started using scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared.” It’s a gripping description of the state of mind that Bartees Strange used to craft his latest studio effort that encapsulates the horror of living in our ever-changing world. Bartees Strange takes the listener on a thrilling ride over an album that is both cohesive and moves the needle closer to a fully-realized vision for his music.
Album opener, “Too Much” is built around an odd-sounding guitar riff that evokes an eerie feeling in the vibe of the record, and it pulls the listener in closer to see what the artist was going for here. Bartees Strange later raps on the bridge before getting back to that same guitar riff to help set the stage for “Hit It Quit It.” It’s on this song that the record begins to take off and solidify this artist as someone willing to take plenty of calculated risks to reward the audiences who have been with him since the beginning of his career. The track also features a cool, almost Red Hot Chili Peppers type of vibe to it in the instrumental section as Bartees Strange sings rhythmically over the frenetic song.
“Sober” takes a bit more somber of an approach in the opening bars of the song, while the chorus mentions, “That’s why it’s hard to be sober,” to bring the audience a little bit closer to the headspace of this talented artist. One of the singles to be released from the promotional schedule leading up to the release of Horror, the song highlights the vibe that he was going for on this LP.
“Baltimore” ties directly into the artist’s DC/MD/VA (or DMV, for the locals) ties as he slowly croons over the difference between cities that he has visited or lived in like Philadelphia, DC, New York City, and eventually how Baltimore ties into this narrative. The guitar playing is top notch here, and it has some cool production elements built into the parts. “Lie 95” goes further down the road that connects these key cities together geographically, while it also features some guest vocals from a female artist to assist with the harmonies in key parts of the song. It remains one of the major standout moments on Horror.
My personal favorite in the set comes on “Wants Needs” that leans in closer to Bartees Strange’s perceived strengths as a performing artist. The song gradually builds to a guitar-wailing chorus that gives the record an extra boost of energy in the middle section of Horror. “Lovers” gets back to the eerie vibe of the opener, but with different production elements that make it sound almost like a NIN-type of song that bellows over the mix and haunts whoever takes the time to go deeper down the rabbit hole. Bartees Strange adds in some vocal effects in the chorus that make it harder to decipher the lyrics, but makes for a cool club-ready vibe.
“Doomsday Buttercup” starts off a bit slow and soft, but gradually picks up momentum and showcases the sound that he was going for on this dark-tinged record. “17” cuts right to the core of what makes Bartees Strange such a talented artist: great-sounding vocals, crisp instrumentation and meaningful lyrics that come straight from the heart. Bartees Strange mentions in the first chorus, “Sometimes I don’t know where I belong,” before adding in a detailed strings section before the second verse adds in additional context to the narrative.
“Loop Defenders” adds in several unique sounds to the mix in a Hip-Hop-esque song that blends a variety of this artist’s influences into a key work of art of his own doing. “Norf Gun” is a rap-heavy song that features some great production and a rewarding chorus and finds Bartees Strange getting into a cool groove. The album closer of “Backseat Banton” feels a bit like a victory lap in its sound that cuts through the darker vibes brought forth early on and hits the listener like a burst of sunshine coming out of a dark tunnel. This is likely intentional to act as a metaphor for how Bartees Strange has dealt with his own trauma head-on, came out of it all still able to tell the tales, and is able to end the LP on a positive note.
Horror is a much darker album than I was anticipating from Bartees Strange. However, given the aesthetic of the album artwork of him looking almost like the Blade character from Marvel Comics and simultaneously appearing as cool as anyone has ever looked on their album cover, it’s hard to not buy into the vibes being brought forth here. Horror will be identifiable for those who have experienced their own trauma in their lives, fought for every inch of respect, and ultimately made it out the other side as better people. The Horror-era is not one to be taken lightly from an artist willing to make his audience feel a bit uncomfortable in their listening experience as they grow with him.