music

Bleachers – Strange Desire (2014)

So-called “indietronica” is gaining mainstream recognition…and Strange Desire is part of the reason why.

Bleachers, the one-man band side project from Fun’s Jack Antonoff, has been on my radar for quite a while. After hearing “I Wanna Get Better” during the early months of 2014, I was anxious to hear more of this 80’s influenced, electronic-heavy brand of indie rock, though it turned out that the album was months away from release. Now that I’ve had a chance to let the album sink in for a while, I’m eager to hear what comes next as this project evolves and matures.

Antonoff recorded this music during his spare time while on tour with Fun, and the internal nature of the record is clear when listened to as a whole. On the one hand, the input of others might improve the consistency, focus, and variety of the record, but on the other hand, hearing what someone has created without the creative interference of others is often times impressive in its own ways. Strange Desire is a record full of amazing sounds, simple but effective melodies, and dense walls of sound with a marked experimental edge to them, all wrapped up in the overt sentimentality so synonymous with today’s indie rock.

When I listen to music, and especially as I familiarize myself with a complete album, I sometimes try to come up with a quasi-clever statement describing the music in relation to other music. You know, the kind of statements like, “These guys sound like a cross between early Black Sabbath and mid-career Placebo with a dash of No Limit-era Snoop Dogg and momentary flourishes of Springsteen’s Nebraska.” True, it’s pretentious as hell, but on the off chance that someone who hears music just like I do reads it, it will instantly click.

So where does Strange Desire fall on the “pretentious comparison” scale? Well, it has all the flair and granduer of Fun, and borrows almost every nu-wave sound from the 80’s, all the way from the Cars to Depeche Mode and everything in between, to create a dense mass of electronic noise reminiscent of industrial or futurepop. Knowing that Antoff put this together himself, I can’t help but to picture an emo version of Trent Reznor twiddling knobs and turning dials just to create that perfect sound. The mood varies between somber and hopeful, but there’s always a certain brightness that shines through, much like what made/makes 80’s pop such a guilty pleasure.

Strange Desire starts off strong with “Wild Heart.” Full of uplifting 80’s chime/synth sounds that remind me of songs like “St. Elmo’s Fire” from John Parr and “Sherrie” from Steve Perry, it also features a reverberating clap which helps give it that full, big, bombastic feeling. Low strings surge in at times as well, and the chorus is an intense rush of drums and synth, fully evoking the “wild” in “Wild Heart.” Poingnant lyrics often walk the line between juvenile and absurd, and such is the case with this album opener. “In the years I was changed, by crooked hearts” is one of the strongest points of the album, and I’m a sucker for songs that can so colorfully describe the past.

“Rollercoaster” tumbles and churns much like the title would suggest, with a bouncy, yet subdued, yet powerful rhythm section. It’s a song that I wasn’t immediately into when I first heard it, but by the end I was hooked. The way everything falls into place and the way that all the “oohs” and “ohs” create such an amazing aural package is a testament to Antonoff’s work in Fun where such songs are the norm.

“I Wanna Get Better” is a highly interesting rumination on suicide and depression. With a frantic but workable rhythm, the track plays out like a stream of consciousness. Though the words can feel cryptic at first, there’s an underlying ennui that descends into anger and pain, eventually bursting forth into the anthemic cry of, “I wanna get better!” The chorus is a bit pedantic compared to the lyrical mastery contained in the verses, but perhaps it’s intentional; perhaps the simplicity of wanting to “get better” is meant to contrast with the complex and verbose thoughts and feelings that often accompany negative emotions.

“Wake Me” holds my attention with it’s twangy guitar line and deadpan yet strangely sincere vocal delivery. “Reckless Love” ebbs and flows much like a slightly more somber version of Fun, taking an interesting twist near the end. “Reckless Love” ties in with the “Wild Heart” theme as well, a lyric also shared by “Like a River Runs,” which has a chorus that could’ve come straight out of any 80’s Top 40 hit and a jaunty, galloping rhythm.  There’s also an amazing electronic breakdown near the end that would sound at home in any of Apoptygma Berzerk’s remixes of “Kathy’s Song.”

“You’re Still a Mystery” strikes the most mainstream balance between the album’s retro, indie, and electronica influences and becomes an almost perfect pop song. It’s simple but effective, catchy without being annoying, and a comforting blend of sounds wonderfully suited to the light and uplifting melody. There’s a driving synth loop in here that reminds me of Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough” and the “Oh, Oh, Oooh!” almost takes me back to Baltimora’s “Tarzan Boy” and something else that I can’t quite put my finger on.

The last track I want to draw special attention to is “I’m Ready to Move On / Wild Heart Reprise.” Anchored by a strange piece from Yoko Ono about “smiling snow,” this is the experimental track of the album, in the vein of tracks like the Killers’ “Everything Will Be Alright.” Much of the lyrics from “Wild Heart” are heard again, though this time around they are processed through a vocoder and dampened to almost robotic sound rather than the soaring vocals heard in the original. It creates a surreal, otherworldly mood, further enhanced by the muted synth and the booming bass notes. Simple “oohs” and “aahs” are elevated to haunting noises as they swim in waves of distortion, sounding a lot like bits of “Elysium” from the Gladiator score.  These largely instrumental portions are quite reminiscent of work from futurepop acts like VNV Nation and Covenant, once again drawing an ever-so-slight bridge between Bleachers and industrial music.  The airy piano part connects it fully to the original, and even though the track is far from conventional, it begs repeated listens.

I wouldn’t say that I keep my finger on the pulse of new music, but I do keep my ears open for what I like, and Strange Desire is one of those albums I landed on. I don’t want to liken it too much to Fun, because it’s more heavily rooted in 80’s nu-wave and most of the music is not nearly as direct or as positive as that of Fun. It’s more introspective, it’s quieter, and it’s more reflective. It’s also a bit noisy (I know, I just said it was quieter), but largely this noise is channeled into impeccable melodies and Antonoff does a great job of making the listener want more with his relatively short track times as opposed to wearing the listener out with 2 minutes of feedback tacked onto the end of everything. The lyrics and themes verge on circular at times, but the quality and sincerity make up for this completely. Conventional song structure is partially eschewed, which also helps to keep the music fresh over repeated listens without becoming tiresome.

Strange Desire may not go down as a classic, but it could easily be the precursor to one. Antonoff needs to hone in a little more on a sound and a style to truly turn heads, but he’s off to a great start.  I hope he continues to retain full control over his project, though I also think he may benefit from the input of guest. Strange Desire has a beautiful level of restrained experimentation and tempered eccentricity that can often only be found in first albums; thankfully, he’s got the musical chops to back up his ambition, and I’m absolutely looking forward to what comes next.

Have you given Strange Desire a listen yet?  What do you think?  Anyone else doing anything similar?  Let us know in the comments below!

Written by The Cubist