Kane Strang has announced his new
album,
Two Hearts and
No Brain, out June
30th on Dead Oceans. Along with the announcement he’s sharing the new
single,
My Smile Is
Extinct. It’s the follow up to lead single,
Oh So You’re Off I See, which spent multiple weeks at the top of NZ’s Alternative Airplay Chart and was
his first taste of new music since 2016’s
Blue
Cheese. Recorded in his hometown of Dunedin at the notoriously haunted Chick’s Hotel
studio, Kane teamed up with producer Stephen Marr from trip hop group
Doprah for
Two Hearts and No Brain.
The collaborative result is a razor sharp blend of intelligent alt-rock,
bearing the signatures of grunge/alt rock swiftly executed with careful,
meticulous precision over 11 tracks. Marr’s influence brings a pristine,
retro-futuristic sheen which complements Strang’s perfectionist recording
style, sharp melody, and verbose lyrical neuroticism. Taking to well-worn
subject matter (heartbreak, loneliness, family) with a disarmingly frank
scalpel, Strang’s wryly deadpan lines never miss a beat - the results often
sardonic, and always captivating.
Two Hearts and No Brainis pure pop genius from start to finish. It’s hard to imagine who else could
convincingly fuse fuzzy synths with slide guitar; crunchy chords with chiming
vocals in such a kaleidoscopic pop vision. The album’s cover art, featuring a
refracted analogue photograph taken of Kane atop of a rocky precipice; echoes
the spirit of lean guitar-pop shining through a truly contemporary, innovative
lens. His attention to detail shows up the fat slack present in the work of
many of Kane’s contemporaries; yet his sound remains emotive and playfully
laced with a tongue-in-cheek nostalgia - timelessly old and new in the same
breath.
What sets Kane apart from the rafts of DIY indie songwriters is a willingness
to push further. Having mastered the lo-fi aesthetic, he’s stretched his
already limber songwriting legs and production chops to new unexpected spaces
on
Two Hearts and No
Brain. Kane’s vision of extending his sound far beyond the bedroom
promises international touring and releases the world over. With a live show
that exhibits his unpredictable and exhilarating command on stage, Kane’s
amassed a band of cohorts to execute his vision with arresting impact, sure to
charm crowds with his sideways slant of guitar pop.
Listen To Kane
Strang’s My Smile Is Extinct:
Watch & Listen:
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