Vancover’s N0V3L are readying to share their debut album NON-FICTION on May 28. They’ve already given us the unnerving “Group Disease,” which warned of populism’s growing violence, and the hypnotic groove of “Notice of Foreclosure.” Their latest single “Stranger” follows in the skeptical, gothic footsteps of these post-punk forebears.
“Stranger” opens with a concerned piano melody that’s soon copied by a shrill, tinny guitar. “Feeling of watching the world through glass / Friendships like tokens, moments don’t last,” singer Jon Varley exclaims. Varley’s words are haunting, warning us of the malady that we’re lost in with no help or awareness to escape. His intonation is somewhere between The Human League’s Philip Oakey and Echo & the Bunnyman’s Ian McCulloch. At one point, a saxophone jumps onto the track, turning it frantic. “Hold onto old bonds,” Varney warns as the song comes to an end.
Listen to “Stranger” below and pre-order NON-FICTION here.
