Strange Times

Lazy Hunter

Single Review

Every now and again in a bands/musicians career the opportunity to push yourself that little bit further will arrive and a sonic crossroads opens up. Do you stick with what’s safe, what’s familiar, what’s comfortable…or do you close your eyes and step outside your own lines and hope the chance is worth it. Well, when putting together their latest single Manchester & Sheffield based Lazy Hunter not only reached this crossroad but rather than tentatively step out of their comfort zone they took a running jump into something all together different.

‘strange times’ is a song that doesn’t want to be ‘typical’. Much like their previous track ‘Influencer’ that carried undertones of bands such as Talking Heads and XTC with its stylistic use of keyboread and rolling precision, ‘strange times’ continues this alternative approach, but pushes it up to eleven. From the moment the song kicks in its use of 13/8 time signature takes you by surprise and at first you feel a bit uneasy, a bit ‘okay, this is different’. Then however as the vocal line kicks in and the song moves forwards it almost snaps together and just melts into your ears. The guitars, bass, drums, and even a tight synth riff just seem to be alive as the song progresses, each sound swirling and melding with the others.

Moving away from timings and instrumentation, the highlight of the whole song for me is its theme. Like many songs over the coming years it was inspired by the intense and challenging times we’ve all lived through during the Pandemic. Reflecting on the feelings of loneliness and isolation that a lot of people suffered through at this time, ‘strange times’ not only captures a very relatable round of emotions and feelings but combined with the composition of the music fully embodies that entire time period. Whether its through the disjointed but purposeful nature of the music or the hope tinged lyrics that act as a safe point admidst the music the song manages to capture several aspects of this time in our lives. It even for me, and this may be a bit of a reach, but when the solo kicks in towards the end, the song almost takes on a euphoric edge, that kind of light at the end of the tunnel moment, which is a nice touch.

Overall, ‘strange times’ is a song that really sets itself apart from its fellow releases. Lazy Hunter took up the challenge of creating something more complex, something more compelling, and met the challenge head on. After achieving what they had set out to do with this song it’s my hope that they will continue to push and twist their music into new forms and keep aiming that little bit higher each time. I cannot wait to hear what is next from this fearless group of musicians.

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