EP stream: "Sideline Kid" - Strange Relations

photo: Katie Essick

In their latest release as a duo, Strange Relations sound stronger and more emboldened than ever, creating three tracks filled with an emotional charge that will leave you nearly breathless.

The release gets underway with (“Sideline Kid”), a deceivingly soft opener that initially only reveals a whisper and a brush of strings. But then drums kick in, the pattern picks up, and the duo aims straight for your heart with a batch of encouraging lyrical sentiments that are so needed. As the world rapidly turns to shit, Strange Relations (Casey Sowa + Maro Helgeson) finds this glimmering piece of hope, shouting out a beautiful reminder to remain you, even when you find yourself sitting on the sidelines.

The mysterious mood that’s ever present throughout their releases remains on “Touch/Keep,” as the pair creates an ominous percussion pattern that hides beneath Sowa’s breathy vocals. And for the EP’s final track, the two strip away the usual experimental fanfare, recording direct from their bedroom. With Sowa on vocals and Helgeson on bass, one is practically transported to the expanse of a room in which the track was recorded. The moment is heartbreakingly intimate, as if you’re witnessing the song being pieced together, watching as their ideas form, taking the shape of something beautifully profound and moving.