This is the 1st of the 3 planned installments of rare recordings from Portland's STRFKR. 20 songs presented on 180g red vinyl have never been heard before, and they were "rescued from primary songwriter Josh Hodges's dying computer." Expect intimate, sometimes bare, and delightful material that dates as far back as 2007, and it should be noted that the songs "all played a role and influenced what has been released under that name." The arrangements show psych and "kosmiche musik" influences and typically consist of guitar, bass, keys, and some synth work, with chill, laid-back vocals rounding out vibes. It's an unprecedented access to the creative building blocks that Hodges and fellow members based ideas for albums like Being No One, Going Nowhere off of, and the indie pop project's MO of "dark (of heavy) lyrics set to happy music" rings true with every track.

• 180g red vinyl
• music label: Polyvinyl Records 2017

reviewed by marble cake floors 04/2017