New Love§trange album “I Liked It, No I Didn’t”

Photo courtesy of Arash Armin

Tiffany Frandsen | Deputy Managing Editor | @tiffany_mf

 Perhaps you’ve seen the cryptic, Ayn Rand-ian “Who is John Galt” posters in black and white taped to buildings and light poles, with the face of a man who has elegantly high cheekbones, that ask, “Who is Karl Strange?” are scattered around downtown Provo.

Come Feb. 13, you’ll know.

Here is a sneak preview – Karl Strange is a 50-year-old patent lawyer whose love for music has been rekindled in a new indie rock album, “I Liked It, No I Didn’t.”

The album has a light garage band sound, with some experimental, artsy layers of fuzzy, white-noise vocals and catchy piano hooks. Guitarist Devin Powell’s guitar riffs are played with a subtle hint of distortion, giving the album a retro feel.

At the end of the last track of the debut album, “Love is Strange” (not to be confused with the second to last track, “It’s a Strange Love,” which is more of an upbeat, anthem cut), the band creates a dreamy soundscape. Drummer Matt Blunt’s increasingly chaotic drumming and the plinky reverberation underneath the repeated lyric (and band theme) “Love is Strange,” morph into some eerie backmasking, which echoes the mantra of strangeness all around.

The trio is like a peppier Arcade Fire (emphasis on the –er, they aren’t Neon Trees-peppy, by any means). Lovers of The Strokes should check out “Little Girl, Little Boy – ” Strange’s voice is uncannily similar to Julian Casablancas’.

Strange brought on producer Nate Pyfer, who has collaborated with Kaskade, The Moth and The Flame and Fictionist, to work on this album.

The Feb. 13 concert at Velour serves as an album release party for LoveStrange, with local indie-synth duo Seve vs. Evan and Springville electro-indie band Coral Bones (who also have new material to unleash), supporting. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and the raucous noise starts at 8:30 p.m.