Now this is exactly what I needed: a new full-length album from New York's Strange Neighbors! The band is made up of Aidan Strange on vocals, Beau Valentine on drums, Dana Bennewitz on bass, and Zach Schweiker on guitar. People Pleasers Pleasing People is the group's second long player and first since 2019. Following some excellent singles and EPs released over the last few years, this is a wonderfully satisfying album that will surely lift the spirits of a world in dire need of some joy. The things that make Strange Neighbors so hard to classify are the very things that make them such a treat. Calling them power pop or indie pop or alternative rock just feels insufficient. They are all of those things but perhaps none of those things. So I'll just put it this way: if smart, fun, and super-charming pop songs which bring to mind '80s/early '90s college radio via Gen Z sound like something you'd be into, People Pleasers Pleasing People is an album you absolutely need to hear (now imagine me proofreading this review out loud and tripping all over that album title!).
Coming in at ten tracks, People Pleasers Pleasing People is exactly what you want a full-length album to be: hit-laden and filler-free yet still packing plenty of variety. At their core, Strange Neighbors are all about perfect pop melodies and well-crafted hooks. But their influences are so all over the place in terms of style and era that you could never write them off as a run-of-the-mill power pop band. Elements of everything from '90s alt-rock to the Beatles to country music to musical theater to The Replacements & REM to millennial emo-core to John Prine to Chappell Roan can be felt in these songs, and this blending of the old and new is seamless. Just as importantly, this band has a real flair for writing relatable songs that will hit you like a ton of bricks. Songs like "You've Got Love" and "Hate Me Less" are break-up (or perhaps post-breakup) songs which trade bitterness for meaningful refection. "Retrograde" and "Wherever We Fall" are reminders that we're all works in progress struggling to figure our shit out. "Influencer" is social commentary that could not be more on-point. "Silk and Cyanide" is certainly the best pop song I've ever heard about enemy spies falling in love. And then there's "Beer at the Bar," which is nothing short of an anthem. On a daily basis, I find myself feeling heartbroken over a society that promotes the hatred of human beings based on whom they love and how they present themselves — and a regime that seems intent on legislating these people out of existence. "Beer at the Bar," a song of unity for the queer and trans community, is powerful in both its acknowledgment of its despair and its message of hope.
Many a band has followed a run of terrific singles with an underwhelming album, but Strange Neighbors have delivered the goods with People Pleasers Pleasing People. Wonderfully produced by Mike Dwyer, this album sounds magnificent while still retaining an unassuming indie charm. It is certainly one of my favorite albums of the year and a lock for a prime spot on my year-end list. It's streaming now in all the usual places!
https://strangeneighbors.bandcamp.com/album/people-pleasers-pleasing-people
https://open.spotify.com/album/1J6wSGa4KL3S7k1PXBQxtS
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFerJPrdwETN9KLjIQhmfYw
https://www.instagram.com/strangeneighborsmusic/
https://www.facebook.com/strangeneighborsmusic/
https://www.tiktok.com/@strangeneighbors
https://bsky.app/profile/strangeneighbors.bsky.social
https://strangeneighbors.substack.com/
https://www.breakingsound.com/strange-neighbors/
