Portland – Stranger Cat, the brainchild of Cat Martino and Sven Britt, is an electronic wonderland of sound. Their debut album, In The Wilderness, takes the listener into a wilderness that the duo has carefully constructed with layers of synth, drum machines, well-placed bass and Martino’s breathy, haunting vocals. The album isn’t what you may expect from electro-pop though, as much as it makes you feel like dancing, it aims to rip your heart open through its honesty and leave you bare and in amazement of your newfound surroundings.
The formation of Stranger Cat, and subsequent production of In The Wilderness, was a product of Martino’s stay in the Sierra Foothills of California while suffering from depression. She had left New York and began producing alone, but eventually brought longtime friend Britt in to record and produce with her. Housed in a makeshift tent studio–Stranger Cat was born.
Martino isn’t new to the Indie music scene; she previously worked with Sufjan Stevens on Age of Adz and All Delighted People, performed with The Shins, and toured with Rufus Wainwright and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. In The Wilderness, though, is about her transformation. The album’s first song, “Empty Little Word,” begins with Martino’s sparse, agonizing breaths instead of lyrics, only propelling the idea of emptiness. She croons, “Tomorrow may be too late” while a bass drum slowly rises and her harmonies are layered over each other. By the end of the song she is surer, wiser with the realization: “Tomorrow may never come.”
In The Wilderness’ lyrics read like poetry, a free verse both daring and simple. “R.E.D.” resembles a symbolic drowning. Her vocals become a choir of “save me.” She conveys her supposed defeat with: “you tied me up and begged me not to break. How much more can I fuckin’ take?” The song fades out with Martino’s chants over lingering, elusive synth.
“Sirens” begins not with a sweet, slow seduction but an immediate electronic assault of sound. The synth swirls and bounces as Martino sings, “Pull me to the woods or a vacant lot, somewhere I can’t hear my thoughts.” What is most effective is that to the listener, Martino is the siren, pulling us further into this fantastical wild, remaining entranced all the way. To Martino, the siren is an outside presence, a stranger, a place outside of herself pulling her away from what she’s known.
In The Wilderness is an impressive debut. Martino’s vocals are inviting and entrancing, they only enhance the intricacy of the minimalist electro production. While the album includes collaborations with Sufjan Stevens, Darby Cicci of The Antlers, and Reggie Pace of Bon Iver, Britt and Martino’s production as a duo is the focal point. The album’s use of imagery creates a longing for the wilderness, and every song directs you to it. The album is Martino’s re-introduction as an artist; almost disappearing allowed for her to reemerge in the best way possible.
In The Wilderness will be released April 14 via Joyful Noise Recordings.
Follow Stranger Cat on Facebook to keep track of their whereabouts and tour dates.
Dakota Smith
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