Strange Parts presents a complicated chronology of adulthood on its debut LP Oh God, What A Beautiful Time I Spent In The Wild

Strange Parts | photo by Adam Haney | courtesy of the band

Strange Parts, the collaborative project of Attia Taylor and Corey Duncan, released their debut LP Oh God, What A Beautiful Time I Spent In The Wild today. The record seesaws between moods, sometimes cynical and gritty, sometimes rosy and sanguine. Despite their contrasting styles, the duo works in synchronized compatibility, delivering a sweeping killer of an album.

“Treasures” opens with the pair sharing dual harmonies, their voices opposing each other, rattling like a train over uneven track. Simultaneously romantic and bitter, the song captures the contradiction of loving someone so deeply that hatred grows in your chest like thistles. The lyrics bite with bruising affection: “Like the moon behind your eyes / and who the f*** said you could cry.” “Runaway” sounds eerie and haunting, although the lyrics read as an ode to childhood adventure, a note on escapism. The listener hitches a ride on Taylor’s hollow vocals, following her to some secluded, intangible place. In “Glorious Things” Duncan takes over, weird melodies clashing and argumentative. The structure is fragile, threatening to collapse in on itself.   

“All The Minutes,” you could almost mistake for a Blondie song, Taylor’s voice wavering and airy. This bleeds into the whimsical “Vacation In The Guilts,” littered with nostalgic imagery. This song begs a Lost Boy attitude, wanting to never grow up, to preserve moments in time and stretch them into impossible forevers. The album seems to follow the chronology of aging. As each song gets darker and more complicated, it feels like traveling down a tunnel, light swallowed in a clenched fist. This reflects the way that as you grow up you lose your innocence and wonder about the world, descending into the sharp skepticism of adulthood. The album ends on an uplifting note with the sweetly surreal “Make It Good”, Taylor crooning along to a trilling ukulele, a lullaby to drift off to.