Three years have passed since the last album by STRUNG OUT.
From the perspective of the music business, it’s time to release an album again.
That’s exactly what STRUNG OUT have done, and because it has been a trend for some time now for a band that usually plays electronically amplified to release an acoustic album, the Californians have done just that. Interestingly, with drums. The band must have noticed while composing that drums work quite well. In fact, the drums give the songs more punch and drive.
Lyrically, one could almost group the eight songs together as a concept album. The very personal lyrics are well-written and touch the reader deeply. Loss, memories and their influence, as well as love in today’s world, are the central themes of “Black out the Sky.”
It’s difficult for me to make a final judgment on this album, if one wants to call eight songs an album.
If I didn’t know it was STRUNG OUT, I probably wouldn’t pay much attention to the songs. Acoustic music has been a trend for years, and even though a drum supports the songs here, it somehow doesn’t resonate with me anymore. Besides the musicians and bands that have always played acoustically, too many artists have jumped on this bandwagon in recent years. A drum doesn’t help with that.
However, since it is STRUNG OUT and I can’t ignore that, the album is somehow good. Good because the songs and arrangements are well done. STRUNG OUT can play acoustically. It’s another facet that underscores their class. On the other hand, do we need this album? Does it bring anything?
Well, that’s a question everyone has to answer for themselves.
What remains are eight good songs, packaged in a very nice digipack that is full of codes and allusions and simultaneously reminds one of psychedelic rock bands of yesteryear.
