You Said Strange - “(Song For A) Wasted Land”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…DIIV, Hatchie, Midlake

Melancholy alt-rock played in an understated direction, You Said Strange’s latest single “(Song For A) Wasted Land” takes the French band’s shoegaze template and tightens it up into the closest thing to a pop tune the band has released yet. It’s the first single off their upcoming third album Thousand Shadows Vol.2, two years past the first volume and one that even adds some cinematic saxophone to broaden their post-punk palette into something more naturally catchy and accessible. That said, the post-rock leans within You Said Strange’s catalog shouldn’t be abandoned in favor of catchiness, rather look out for Vol.2 to find a setting that is both inviting and deeply within itself upon its release this April. You Said Strange showcase Monday night at Valhalla alongside fellow worthwhile acts The Sewing Club and Shooks. (Kevin McStravick)

2020 Review: You Said Strange find the warmer sides of shoegaze rock, instilling their 2018 debut Salvation Prayer with a unique indie/alt rock foundation in lieu of purely emotive drones and feedback. There is a consistent haze applied throughout Salvation Prayer, but if all the noise layers were pulled back, there’d be a tight, power pop unit hiding underneath. Still more dreamy than catchy, You Said Strange’s music is surprisingly natural for their fill-every-space approach, performing with mid-tempo comfortability and adding patience to psych-rock imagery.