Oklahoma-born artist Bartees Strange made waves earlier this year with Say Goodbye To Pretty Boy, an EP of The National covers that celebrated the beloved rock outfit while also demonstrating Strange’s sonic alchemy, a compelling fusion of emo, rap, hardcore, and country rock. Strange rounded out the EP with a pair of original songs, serving to set the stage for Live Forever, his debut LP. It comes out on October 2, and today the rocker dropped a video for “Boomer,” its latest single.
Dynamic and lyrically rich, the genre-defying track seamlessly melds elements of hip-hop, blues rock, and indie bombast, building to a roaring chorus that’s bound to give goosebumps. Check out the video for “Boomer,” directed by Britain Weyant, below.
“I try to show how everything is connected: rap, country, hardcore, post-rock,” Strange said of Live Forever in a Billboard interview from earlier this year. “To me and a lot of people of color who grew up making things, those genres are blurry. The lines don’t really make sense to me.”
You’ll be able to hear it for yourself this fall. Pre-order Live Forever here.
5 Comments
“We love the new Bartees single, and here’s why you should, too”You gotta give it up for that sweet Red Rock Canyon sound.
I think I like this more in theory than in practice, mostly because of the mix. “Mustang” was a banger, but it too suffered from a muddy mix. The drums need to be a little clearer, and the bass need to be punchier.
I honestly can’t wait until this guy gets to work with a real producer. Someone who can preserve the grime while cleaning up the mix.
Agreed 100%. This guy has real talent and the capability to perform in at least a half-dozen different genres. It’s a shame that the production and mixing let him down.
Im willing to forgive this a little because he’s clearly exceptional however yeah if it had scuzz but delineation it’d really make his mark.