At only four songs, Strategies’ debut EP is a quick play. The project is led by Paul Lask (The Ghost, Tight Phantomz), who created and sent demos to his longtime contemporaries, Brian Moss (The Ghost, Hanalei, Great Apes), and Neil Hennessy (The Lawrence Arms). The EP is wandering and explorative, building off the thoughtful post-hardcore influenced emo of the aforementioned bands but with more layers. It’s slow-tempo, building indie rock with familiar structures but non-traditional time signatures.
“Outages” is the first song and, honestly, it’s my least favorite of the bunch. I find closer “Camp Elsewhere” to better signify the band’s strengths. It’s carefully arranged, yet dreamlike, but with a refrain that pulls the listener in close. The guitar sets a daydreaming mood, but the vocals and drums form a bond between writer and listener. It’s also the most straight forward of the four songs.
The rest of the record follows a similarly distant tone, but (intentionally) without as many hooks. “Fire Drill” is drawn out: absent of place or time. “Silent Count” may be the most memorable song on the record, but also the biggest left turn. Think Hanalei meets new wave, beginning with an almost danceable element that slowly decays into a rumbling bass drum and snare combo that takes it from uplifting to an off-balance feeling somewhere between anxious and overwhelmed.
While I strongly suspect the record is about being stuck at home, it feels like being a kid and looking out the window, daydreaming and observing on a long car ride. It’s slow-paced and wandering with an air of repetition through perfectly paired drumming by Hennessy. According to online interviews, the project aims to play live some day and perhaps release more material. While I think there are strong tonal concepts going on with Strategies’ debut, I question if the current concept would keep my interest on a full-length given my bias for straight-forward sounds. As an EP, it works for a nice change of pace that’s centered on mood instead of melody. I’m curious to see what comes next -- if the band goes more into the rock-based Jets To Brazil or familiar Ghost/Hanalei direction, or deeper into the atmospheric tones instead.
