Coming off the heels of his highly praised EP Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy an eclectic collection of reimagined versions from The Nationals catalogue, released via Brassland, D.C.-based musician Bartees Strange sets to break new ground with his debut LP Live Forever via Producer Will Yips Memory Music label in 2020.

Strange grew up in Mustang, Oklahoma, an overwhelmingly white and racist sundown town on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. In Mustang, he says, I didnt let myself be seen. I held myself down so I could make people feel more comfortable around me.

Live Forever is a direct and stunning result of this conviction. Its impossible to divorce the reality of Stranges personal trajectory from the intricate and idiosyncratic 13-track saga on record: it spans gentle, Moses Sumney-meets-Yves Jarvis minimalism, Killers-ish indie rock vigor with post-punk cracks in its danceable veneer, the throbbing industrial alt-soul of Algiers, Justin Vernons acoustic tenderness, and the volatile, unforgiving production and delivery of Death Grips. Simply put, it is a combination that none but Strange could execute underand as a result ofprecise circumstances.