This album was co-written with Peter Pavli where we made more use of his melodic bass playing and I experimented with layered harmony effects. It was recorded at home and released in 2016 via Bandcamp.
Mixed and mastered by Charlie Nieland.
Cover image: Joy and Sorrow 12″ tondo, oil on copper, 2011 by Carrie Ann Baade
Layout and design by Paul Fellowes
Reviews:
Primal Music 4/5
There’s an air of invincibility surrounding Strata Florida’s music that is both enthralling and addictive all at once. Louise Trehy draws her listeners into every single track with her distinctive ethereal vocal style whilst instrumentally the band create well though out, layered soundscapes that act as a sonic conduit to deliver dreamy shoegaze & post-punk inspired sound. Recommended!
Soundblab 9/10
Trehy’s double-pronged attack of ethereal arrangements and soft, breathy vocals washes over the listener as soon as ‘Caroline’ slows out of the speakers, an almost hallucinogenic, wah-wah musical backing floating across the room. Scintillating shards of slicing guitars crystalize across your synapses as ‘Vital Signs’ continues to remind of vintage Cocteaus – one can almost imagine Robin Guthrie hiding in a corner ripping off one of his patented, heavily-treated guitar lines, as Trehy again delivers dreamy vocals throughout. Once again, an uplifting, spiritual high is generated, the perfect tonic for cleansing life’s maladies.
Strata Florida’s identity solidifies with the guitar-heavy pop of “Vital Signs” and full-on density of “Don’t Give Up On Me,” whose simulated strings lend it a rather Sgt. Pepper-ish air. Don’t be surprised if you’re reminded of early New Order when a forceful bass line muscles its way to the forefront of “Emily Bronte,” all the better to power this midtempo paean to Wuthering Heights’ creator, and don’t be surprised either if you sometimes struggle to decipher the words when the vocal delivery is so breathy and the arrangements so rich in detail and atmosphere. Dreampop devotees should perhaps anticipate being seduced all over again.
While Strata Florida’s new album flourishes with varied instrumentation and musical styles, Trehy’s breathy, sky-high vocals continue to grace the dreamy compositions.
stratafloridaband.com 