strategy, future rock

The new album from Strategy, Future Rock, is one of the nicest discoveries I’ve made checking freshly ripped in a very long time. Strategy is a Portland dude named Paul Dickow, and musically he favors dub, ambient and some elements of post-punk (chiefly its blending of art-rock and dub), and Future Rock amalgamates that fandom beautifully. It’s an introspective record — one that definitely benefits from high-end audio gear, with its intricate arrangements — that swells and swoons gorgeously: even now, having listened to the record three times today, I can’t recall an individual song, more the feel of the album as a whole. Vocals pop up here and there, but primarily it’s the softly mourning synthesizers that determine the mood of Future Rock — I am continually reminded of Radiohead’s Kid A and Amensiac. It’s been getting raves from The Wire, Pitchfork and many other smart folks, and we’re more than happy to join their bandwagon.