Bartees Strange Remains Shockingly Great on ‘Horror’
Fear may have inspired Bartees Strange’s new LP, but the songs on Horror are some of his best to date. He is one of the key artists of this decade.
Horror Bartees Strange 4AD 14 February 2025
Bartees Strange’s ascent has been a joy to behold. His seamless blend of rock, soul, funk, and hip-hop, with a confessional singer-songwriter’s words, puts him in a class of his own. While others try, no one is as skilled at blending so many different sounds into a cohesive whole right now, and it all rests on his compelling vocals. He is as powerful crooning as he is spitting bars. Each release has its own personality, and the distinctiveness of the best songs on each record are testaments to his talent, from the breakneck indie of “Mustang” and “Boomer” on 2020’s Live Forever to the experimental pop of “Wretched” and “Cosigns” on 2022’s Farm to Table.
In that regard, Horror, his latest, is no different. It also has its own theme and sensibility. As the title suggests, to borrow from another brilliant artist operating at their peak, he’s got so much trouble on his mind. With his star continuing to rise, Bartees Strange is aware of the critical moment that Horror is for him. Will it expand his audience further?
The bigger the swing, the more need for something to show. That is the focus of “Wants, Needs”, an explosive track in the middle of Horror. He seems to be singing directly to his fans. The unquiet mind has delivered many great songs and records, and fortunately, Strange continues his streak. Horror is a refinement of the best parts of him–genre-hopping pop and confessional lyrics. Opener “Too Much” is of a piece with some of the best songs on his previous record, Farm to Table.
Strange worked with Jack Antonoff on Horror, and its production has many of the hallmarks of his best work–big songs with big hooks and an effortless glide through different sounds. Fortunately, he doesn’t pile on the gloss as he has on some of his signature projects.
One of the most striking examples of their shared alchemy is “Sober”, which mixes power and vulnerability with an irresistible chorus. For those who enjoyed the quieter moments on Strange’s previous records, “Baltimore” is a beautiful ballad with an aching solo, and track “Lie 95” is a vulnerable pop song with another memorable chorus. “Doomsday Buttercup” is another quieter, more atmospheric track
One mark of an excellent record is how well the bigger swings connect, and Strange’s stretches all hit. The songs with the most overt hip-hop influence, “Norf Gun”, “Loop Defenders”, and “Hit It Quit It” are all bangers. “Lovers” is something else altogether; with its propulsive thump and distorted vocals, it is probably the closest Strange has come to emulating his heroes, TV on the Radio.
“17” is one of the most powerful songs, from the cutting line “The first time I felt impending doom / Was realizing I’m too Black for the room” to the big, Bruce Springsteen-style finale. The closer, “Backseat Banton”, has an anthemic quality that would fit right in as the closer on a Hold Steady record. Remarkably, as with his previous records, all of it hangs together beautifully, with his compelling vocals being the red thread.
Despite its dark artwork and themes, Horror is anything but bleak. Fortunately, Strange comes out on the other side of this dark night of the soul that inspired it with another winner. He might begin the record with some self-doubt and self-loathing, but by the final track, he’s singing, “Being scared has made me bigger now, bigger than I ever was.” He stares down his anxieties, fans’ expectations, and haters waiting for a stumble. Horror provides further proof that Bartees Strange is one of the key artists of this decade.