Stranger Me

VINYL FORMAT. The stranger in popular culture has often been a signifier for isolation. Amy LaVere's life since the release of her last album has seen the breakup with a long-term love relationship and musical collaborator, as well as the death of a musical mentor, which resulted in a longer gestation period for this album. Under the circumstances, one could image the allure of emotional distance. Or does she mean stranger, as is more idiosyncratic? By a purely musical definition, this album would certainly qualify. Always texturally rich and often employing dissonance and off-kilter instrumentation, it is her most exploratory work to date. At times haunting and at times exuberantly defiant, the soundscape is the perfect backdrop for Amy's songs about frustration and feeling emotionally disconnected.