Strange Gravity: Music For The Metaverse: album review

Strange Gravity – Music for the Metaverse

(Alex Tronic Records)

CD | DL

1st March 2024

London based producer musician duo release their second album. Paul Scott-Bates likes what he hears.

It’s interesting sometimes how we hear snippets of the past in new music. That’s not to say that there is plagiarism at work, simply that influences and circumstance can often effect new artists and material. Strange Gravity, the duo made up of Scotsman Grant Strang and Irishman Williem Vincent, evoke such emotions and maybe memories. Perhaps their second album, Music For The Metaverse, is aptly named as it sweeps genre’s and generations it its output.

Strang and Vincent are clearly accomplished musicians as their new album demonstrates. The album opener is maybe a brave choice, This Moment is atmospheric and chilling, projecting a scenario of a dark, hopeless world. The music is basic to start but slowly rises (as do vocals) and could quite easily be taken from one of several Soulsavers albums fronted by Dave Gahan. It’s bluesy and contagious and becomes an enticing beginning metaphorically beckoning the listener in for more.

Norway is again a slow burner, gradually building with a delicate synth riff and beautifully melodic voices with the occasional hint of Bowie in the lingering notes of several words. Its three and a half minutes pass relatively quickly as it soothes and lays the ears to rest. Dancing With Snow White again has a Bowie edge, it’s rock/pop overtones and synth gurgles have a peculiar familiarity which makes it instantly connectable and palatable.

What Strange Gravity do particularly well is the ballad-esque, gorgeously simple, ambio-pop that is expertly demonstrated on Strange Days. It subconsciously tugs at the heart-strings with synth tones not dissimilar to those of so many stunning Julee Cruise tracks and there is a section at the mid-way point that reminds of Goldfapp’s Felt Mountain. Heart Of The Sun and Forever follow the same trend and its sublime recounting the sheer splendour of Colin Vearncombe/Black.

Music For The Metaverse is a grower. It’s smoky-voiced, sophisticated pop-jazz-rock songs are individual works of art in a skilfully arranged musical gallery and a welcome album for reflection and contemplation.

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All words by Paul Scott-Bates. More of Paul’s writing on Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive. Paul’s website is hiapop and you can follow him on Twitter as @hiapop, and on Facebook here.