If the fare on Stray Fossa’s debut album With You Forever—self-released in 2021—channeled the hazy, journeying spirit of early DIIV or Real Estate records, then the band's latest singles find the Charlottesville, Virginia trio shifting into a more zonked-out, psychedelic gear that lands somewhere between Tame Impala and Washed Out. You can hear that quality in “Transpiring,” but you can hear it even more acutely in “Better Late Than…” a wavy, windows-down dream-pop jam that shows the group—comprised of brothers Nick and Will Evans, plus Zach Blount—at their most relaxed.
“This single was originally an instrumental we made for a tour promo video,” the band says in a statement. “After a friend reached out about when we’d release it, we revisited the demo, restructuring a few times before Nick and Will finalized lyrics and melody. The song points out how sometimes those closest to you have more realistic expectations for you than you have for yourself, for better or worse.”
“Better Late Than…” will close out Stray Fossa's sophomore album Closer Than We'll Ever Know, due June 3 via Born Losers. The track also arrives with a fittingly lo-fi flick that pairs tour footage with kaleidoscopic visuals. One shot of a guitar on a rocking chair perfectly captures the song’s laidback vibe. You can watch the video below, pre-save the track here, and pre-order the LP here.
