Alternative rock collective, Strange Cut, are based across several nations in North America, those being Mexico, U.S.A. and Canada. Each member contributes to different songs. Musically, these guys blend numerous different influences together, from Beck to Cage the Elephant to Queens of the Stone Age. It’s also apparent that the band has plenty of prior musical experience, with most of Strange Cut’s lineup having performed in bands before.
Their debut album, Strange As It Seems, is a unique concoction of those influences. At its core, it emphasizes the “alternative” side of rock and is never afraid to experiment a bit. Furthermore, with 12 songs at 45 minutes long, this debut never feels too long or too short. Although, it definitely did take me more than one listen for it to click with me. Perhaps this is one of those studio albums that’s easier to digest when split into sections, so I will do just that.
Quarter One of the album consists of “Backlit Gown,” “You Poor Devil” and “Shotgun Reasons.” This part is arguably the weakest part of the album. It is essentially Strange Cut introducing their wildly varied, post-punk-revival-meets-alternative-rock sound to us, but without all the flair. I still don’t think it’s bad, but considering the quietness of songs that should be louder, it’s forgettable in comparison to other sections.
Quarter Two is “Hail Mary” and a pair of similar songs, entitled “Say What You Will” and “Say What You Want,” respectively. Now this is where things start to get interesting. “Hail Mary” rocks pretty hard, as does the redux of “Say What You Will” that’s called “Say What You Want,” which is by far the closest Strange Cut gets to making a grunge song. The rollicking guitars and bass and pounding snare drums reminded me very much of Nirvana’s punk approach to grunge. Lead singer, Jarrod Brown, sounds quite similar to Cobain as well.
Quarter Three may just be the most interesting one out of the four. It includes “Snake Feet,” “Black Kerouac” and “Tangents.” In particular, “Snake Feet,” with its coiling falsetto and spirals of funk seductiveness, sounds just like one of Beck’s hidden gems. That being said, both “Black Kerouac” and “Tangents” have just enough melodic sensibilities to make you keep pressing that “replay” button.
Last but not least, “Trigger Happy Love,” “After Thoughts” and “Rapture” make up Quarter Four. According to Spotify metrics, “Trigger Happy Love” is their most popular song so far, and I definitely see why. It’s got an exceptional bass groove playing off of the ‘60s-esque drum patterns and a killer chorus. I especially got a kick out of the razor-sharp guitar riffs as well as the chorus’s ominous falsetto (“You can run but I will always find you”). The only drawback to this one is that it ends so abruptly! Finally, the spoken word on “After Thoughts” is a nice touch and “Rapture” makes for a scorching finale.
As a whole, Strange As It Seems is a daunting listen, but it’s ultimately more rewarding the more you play it. My biggest point of feedback for Strange Cut is that they should find a producer to hone their sound and make it less muddy. If they sound this good already, being self-produced and all, then just imagine the new heights they could reach with a different producer to make the hooks pop! Highly recommended.
ABOUT THE BAND:
Strange Cut is a collaboration of several artists, drawn through life together with interweaving stories. Jarrod Brown (lead vocals, lyrics) and Rob Dessimoz (bass) informally started the project back in 2015. Brown and Dessimoz had a pre-established rapport from their previous band, A Life Among Ghosts, so they were able to quickly develop the style. Nathan Burns (guitar) soon joined to add an exterior change of pace. Together, the group wrote five songs before life split them apart.
From various parts of the globe, they reconnected at the start of the pandemic (when Jarrod kind of figured out technology) to continue what they started. With Dessimoz organizing the project, he enticed contributions from Josh Schmidt (guitar, backing vocals) and Andrew Hylton (guitar, backing vocals). The rotation of personnel from track to track provides a freshness in texture and technique.
Their sound is a concoction of modern beats and memorable melodies fashioned after the rock/experimental influences they grew up around. While diverse elements such as latin rhythms, grunge guitar riffage, and crooning vocals are all featured, there is a cohesion amongst the salty musical layers. Remember when Beck, Cage the Elephant, and Spoon went on tour together? Pretend they wrote some songs too.
Strange Cut will be debuting their work in the coming months.