Everyone has different tastes – it’s an undeniable truth. But whether you like indie rock, bluegrass, classic country or bubblegum pop, everyone needs a little grunge. The newest addition to your phone’s “Nirvana-esque” playlist: Kane Strang. Deadpan, clever, introspective and relatable, Strang’s 2017 album “Two Hearts and No Brain” feels both nostalgic and new. The coolest way to describe this is “retro-futuristic,” which also happens to be my new favorite adjective.
Rejection, insecurity, isolation and pretty much everything “high school” is an open wound in Strang’s “My Smile is Extinct,” a surprisingly loveable number. The lyrics are fun to sing along with, the accompanying video is wildly relatable (for example, at several points, Strang lays apathetically on the ground as he performs) and the piece is instantly catchy.
For context into his tragedy, Strang starts off by singing, “Yes, she is the best I’ve ever had. I’ll say it to her face, and I’ll say it to her dad,” which is bizarre and hilarious. By the end of the song, the girl has left him for another boy and Strang is contemplating the existence of Heaven – “I might not get let in, but at least I won’t be livin’.”
Heavy drums appear first in “Lagoons,” the album’s opening track. This one is a foot-tapper and an introduction to Strang’s monotone yet expressive voice. “Silence Overgrown” has a similar vibe, a song about feelings of isolation, suggesting that loneliness takes over like weeds in a garden.
“I’m really not doing very well,” Strang admits in “Not Quite.” Nothing says “good music” like abrupt honesty over an energetic melody – exactly what Strang offers in this piece. Things get a bit louder and more passionate in “Oh, So You’re Off I See.”
Strang’s voice opens the ballad-like piece “See Thru.” A song about feeling emotionally transparent, the piece is especially angsty. “Summertime in Your Lounge” has the strongest futuristic edge of any track so far, with an otherworldly introductory sound and echoing, overlapping effects throughout.
Deserving special mention is the album’s title piece. “Two Hearts and No Brains” is especially introspective and beautiful, with a simple accumulation of intensity, emotional depth and intricately placed key changes.
The final verse of “Two Hearts and No Brain” is perhaps the album’s most important addition to the musical discourse about life; “Earth is a mechanical bull and you don’t know where you’ll go when you get thrown off this little rodeo in the stars – Oh I’ve always had no brain and two hearts.”
“Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost)” is a song about misguided and confusing self-discovery. Nothing is quite so disorienting as self-actualization among hardships and tumultuous relationships. The album closes with “Good Guy.” The shortest single, clocking in at around two minutes, is about inadvertently treating others poorly – a mistake everyone makes.
This album was exciting to stumble upon. Strang prods into life’s ups and downs, especially its downs, in this witty and moving collection. An artist this unique can be difficult to find, so I suggest giving this dorky-looking guy from Dunedin a chance.
