Kane Strang’s first proper album, Blue Cheese is set for release on February 26th and picks up on the rough disaffection of his earlier demo collection, A Pebble and a Paper Crane, which he recorded in a WWII bomb shelter in Germany.
Back in his hometown of Dunedin, New Zealand, Strang spent two curious months alone, housesitting for his parents where he composed all of Blue Cheese over those quiet days.
Lead track “The Web” channels pummeling bass lines punctuated by a twinkling synth that calls upon microscopic pop principalities of restlessness (“Yeah, I met someone else / Without leaving my little house / No, I haven’t held her yet / I met her on the internet”).
Listen to the first single 'Full Moon, Hungry Sun' here.
Its abrupt ending parallels Strang’s own disconnect. “She’s Appealing” weaves Day-Glo guitar motifs into distant, detached ’80s garage pop vocals. “Never Kissed a Blonde” is driven by a slapping delay on both vocals and guitar. Strang’s path toward a melody is always surprising, and he never misses a hit-on-the-head-obvious-in-retrospect memorable line.
Strang has formed a band and started playing his distinct psych-pop live, including a tour in June 2015 and a memorable set at The Others Way Festival.
Blue Cheese is released in New Zealand and Australia on Vinyl, CD and digitally on Flying Nun and distributed via Flying Out. The album is released in the US/Europe on Badabing Records.
Pre-orders are available now via Flying Out.