Stray Fossa is a band that Apple Music kept pushing on me until I realized that I really liked them. Combining hushed tones and gentle atmospherics with chillwave sensibilities, they appeal perfectly to mid-life me. At this period in my existence, I'm looking backward and forward in equal measure. Music that contains a sense of restrained nostalgia with a nod to retro-futurism speaks to where my mind finds itself. I can imagine walking through an urban landscape with ear buds in, going from classic architecture to the most modern of skyscrapers and beholding all with a fascination brought about by realizing harmony in contradiction.
Stray Fossa picks up the baton from Small Black in making rhythms with diminutive keyboards and baselines that comfortably bounce the songs along. Breathy vocals bring to mind Cigarettes After Sex. The band guides the listener through understated verses and choruses that could serve as anthems for the contentedly indifferent.
Stray Fossa's new album Closer Than We'll Ever Know is out 6/3 on Born Losers records.