Michael Rogers

Strange Ranger is a Philadelphia based indie rock band started around 2010. They released a few EPs under various names before finally putting out a full length album in 2016 titled Rot Forever. They quickly followed this up with 2017s Daymoon and this year’s album titled Remembering the Rockets. The indie rock space is more crowded now than ever, despite that the quartet of young and talented musicians have managed to find a unique sound that allows them to stand out. It somehow feels both melancholy and sugar sweet at the same time and their lyrics recall a nostalgia for a time that doesn’t exist. Unfortunately as with most albums these days Remembering the Rockets ends up suffering from the fact that it’s just too long. There are a few songs like “Planes in Front of the Sun”, “rockets” and “‘02” that could have been cut from the album. This would have made for a tighter and more pleasant listening experience without feeling like you are hearing the same song over and over. The album starts off with two of its greatest in “Leona” and “Sunday”, both fully exemplifying all that makes the band unique. Just when the album starts to drag a bit, “Ranch Style Home” comes along with a change of pace and style to wake up the listener. Despite the length, this album and this band are definitely worth a listen and I am excited to see what they have next.