Album Review: Stranger In Moscow - Misconstructed Beats

A Stranger In Moscow's “progressive lounge indie” sound is perfectly showcased in their EP 'Misconstructed Beats'. From the off you get their unique sound which is encompassed in the first 8 bars. Ambient delayed guitars, four to the floor beats locked in tight with the bass, led by Andy Hall’s incredibly mature and distinct vocal making this band my favourite unsigned act right now.

The bridge before the first chorus of title track, 'Misconstructed Beats' builds and explodes to a vocal melody you won’t forget in a long long while. Their wall of sound approach to song writing still manages to leave perfect space for every orchestration, everything seems so well thought out, your not force fed a mash of meaningless virtual synths layered to the high hills of Nagasaki. Instead every fine detail added has its place and is there for a reason.

You get a feeling of empowerment as Andy screams the melody “I’ll say goodbye and face the world” and as the second chorus ends you see their progressive side, which rolls nicely into a kick ass solo where note choice was of the utmost importance. We’ve all heard pointless noodling and let’s be honest there’s nothing more annoying. Guitarist Luke makes every note count and his minimalist approach verging on Mike Einziger territory is more than easy on the ear.

Track two titled “View” begins with a low fi trip hop beat, which layer upon layer builds until a solo guitar riff rips into the pre chorus, seamlessly breaking into yet another memorable sing along vocal driven chorus.

There’s a wicked progressive volume swell breakdown, which is in a league of its own for originality. Cymbals are added to the fold to create the crescendo into an instrumental electro end section that Vex Red would have been proud of!

The last track 'Drift' does exactly that, but, with a slightly dissonant and haunting energy, it’s like a scary Lullaby that makes you slightly uneasy in a good unpredictable way. The chorus is a beautifully crafted piece of music showcasing some elegant tickling of the ivories (or piano keys as they are more widely recognized as!) Which all in all rounds this EP off perfectly.

I strongly urge that you buy this EP if you’re into progressive enigmatic indie, you certainly won’t be disappointed. These are 3 perfectly constructed songs, which will leave you wanting more hence the perfect score

5/5

'Misconstructed Beats' by Stranger In Moscow is available now on Airbag Records.

Stranger In Moscow on MySpace

Ben Bridges