'Moments Stolen' by Strange Cities: Reveling in Resentment

Author

Trixie Rasputin

STREAM MOMENTS STOLEN

The best way to classify Strange Cities, a 4-piece rock band out of San Francisco, is "post-post punk." Their music is firmly rooted in an era that can only be described as supremely Gen-X. They ditched the overdriven guitars, scrapped the synths, did away with the electronic beats, and even dropped the cheeky, acerbic humor of the 1st wave and new wave bands like Devo and Duran Duran. What they kept is all the world-weary, bleary eyed pain of the early 80's influences like Echo and the Bunnymen and The Cure. 2024's 'Moments Stolen' is an absolute masterpiece of mood that defines the attitude of a band cultivating it's signature sound in a strange and weather-worn city. With 'Moments Stolen' we find ourselves in a headspace where death by a thousand little cuts is not quite a pleasure, but is certainly a preference, and every song rails against the shallow, the fake, and the cheerful. One of my favorites of the album, 'Holoscene', has a snappy bass line and you almost hear someone crack a whip when singer Daniel Nakazo Clark demands "Meet me on the dancefloor/Gonna throw down tonight." Nowhere is safe in the world of Strange Cities.

On the title track singer Daniel Nakazo Clark says "My moment's stolen and I feel it moving backwards/In this crestfallen climate now we resent." The affronted air of this song is thick enough to cut with a knife. However, this band has way of making statements such as these feel like a lifestyle. There is no angst or complaint in the delivery, just more a resigned statement of the facts: I suffer to live, and that's just how it is. Gen X vibes in a nutshell. On the second track 'Dead to Dust' Clark says "I don't want you, I don't need you, I don't care that I'm afraid." This is one of the few tracks where you will hear a piano punching away to the beat, which I think is a particularly useful choice to add some sonic depth near the end of the song. 'Fade Away' is truly a song for city dwellers in a strange city and has one of my favorite lines of the whole album: "You pretend to know my name, then you wave and walk away." Oooo burn. Songwriter Clark knows how to describe these kinds of moments with an accuracy and honesty that make the listener feel like it could easily be their own life he's describing, or worse, their behavior he is calling out.

There's a certain tone to this album that feels like a memory purge, yet with zero sense of nostalgia. This past is haunted and in a word, shitty, and our dear storyteller is not about to sugarcoat his rise above the pain. If anything, Clark is relishing in the ache, and his bandmates are behind him the whole time ready to soothe or fight back, usually in that order. On the track 'Not Just Yet' the band plays bright guitars and a pulled back beat to give space for Clark to realize "I'm not in hell just yet..." This is easily the climax of the album when we finally understand that he is anticipating, not dreading, this eventuality. He giddily realizes his time has not come, but he'll be ready to accept his fate when it does. It is the song that ties the whole album together. The final song, 'Savior' is one last go around to make sure the message comes across loud and clear. You're not worthy, and you never were. "I just want to get away from you...." 

"Moments Stolen" is one of my favorite albums of the year, and will be a treat for anyone who likes elucidative rock music. The production is first rate, with precise attention to detail, powerful vocals, and great stories. It begs to be listened to front to back, time and time again. 
5/5 ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Trixie's Note: Strange Cities is Daniel Nakazo Clark (vocals and guitar), James Levis (guitar), Clayton Vorheis (bass) and Dan Caporale (drums). Their latest album "Moments Stolen" is now streaming on all major platforms and is also available on vinyl. Get your copy this Friday, June 21, at their album release show at Bottom of the Hill, with support from The Hot Takes and Lazer Beam. SHOW INFO.