Even with a new album titled ‘Horror,’ things are good for Bartees Strange

Strange’s new album, which was teased as far back as July 2024 via the single “Lie 95,” finds him continuing to mix and blur genres across a strong set of songs loosely connected to the record’s title. Indie rock, rap, house and soul weave in and out as the artist sees fit. There’s the jagged guitar-led garage rock stomper “Wants Needs,” a song about the necessity of a fan base for professional musicians.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be sick of just writing a rock song, and that song is just a rock song to the max,” he said. “I’m really excited to watch the song develop (live) as we tour.”

With other songs focused on vulnerability and the fears reflecting the singer’s status as a bisexual African American man, “17” tackles the difficulties of understanding how the world works even when, as a young person, you think you do. Strange’s falsetto adds extra power to it.

Credit: (Courtesy of 4AD Records)

Credit: (Courtesy of 4AD Records)

While many tracks are built around guitar, bass and drums, “Lovers” heads in another musical direction entirely. “I love house music, and I feel like every record I kind of stretch and see how far away I can get from the core sound,” Strange said about the song, which is built on synthesizers and beats.

“I wanted to make something a little more synthetic because those songs are so fun to perform, too,” he added, citing his appreciation for Radiohead’s seemingly effortless switch between rock songs and electronica.

The standout moment is the anthem “Sober,” with delicate verses about love’s uncertainty that explode into a chorus that soars as Strange’s voice goes up an octave and an electric piano gives way to loud guitars as the lead instruments. He saw its potential quickly. “Yeah, I felt it when I started it,” he said. “It felt really good.”

In another measure of Strange’s ascension, he performed the song recently on the Netflix show “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.” The experience was a positive one, made a little surreal by the artist’s close on-set proximity to a certain musician.

“Oh, it was so cool,” he said. “I was glad we did (‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!‘) earlier so I got my nervousness out for that kind of show, so yeah, it was really special. Dave Grohl was sitting right to my left. I was like, ‘The D.C. gods have smiled upon me on this day.’” Having grown up in Washington, D.C.’s hardcore scene, Grohl means a lot to musicians from the area, and Strange lived in D.C. for a number of years before moving just up I-95 to Baltimore.

“Horror” is Strange’s third album overall and second for highly regarded record label 4AD.

“It’s one of the greatest honors of my musical life and my personal life, honestly, to just be on that roster,” he said. The label’s artists have included everyone from Lush to TV on the Radio to Pixies. He appreciated the label’s feedback as he developed “Horror,” and as a solo artist he enlisted the help of a number of friends and collaborators to build out the album. His friend Jack Antonoff of Bleachers coproduced the record. More than 20 musicians appeared on at least one track.

While some songs were written solely by Strange and some in partnership with others, each began with his initial direction. “They all start off with me just figuring out what I’m gonna do and then what the song’s about,” he said. “It’s nice to bring in people (to cowrite). It’s another moment in music where you realize that everything is a lot more connected, and you’re really not that different.”

Credit: (Courtesy of Elizabeth De La Piedra)

Credit: (Courtesy of Elizabeth De La Piedra)

The collaboration extends to Strange’s live performances, and, paradoxically, even though he has more material now (with the third album released) from which to draw, the reality of having a shifting backing band narrows his set list options. Typically, he focuses on having a dozen or a few more songs ready, which helps any player new to his group. He prefers playing his newest and oldest material, which leaves him thin on material from his sophomore album “Farm to Table” at the moment.

“I aspire to the day in the future where I’ve had a band that’s set for many, many years that knows the whole catalog,” he said. “But the cool thing about tour is you roll up with like 12 to 15 songs and, over the course of the month, you learn a few more.”

Strange, who has a cousin in Marietta, loved his last Atlanta appearance and is excited to return. “It’ll be fun to come back and see it again and see if the crowd’s a little bigger,” said the singer. “Even if it’s not, that’s cool, too. I’m just excited to play again.”

CONCERT PREVIEW

Bartees Strange

Friday, May 2 at Terminal West. With special guest Ekko Astral. $20. Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m. (all ages). 887 W. Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. terminalwestatl.com