The Strange

Through the haze comes a new take on soul/rock/blues...the STRANGE. Get a taste for the strange, and you'll be hooked. Combining soulful blues with unapologetic rock elements, this quartet (and sometimes quintet to sextet!) play Coltrane and the Beatles in the same set. not afraid of the avant-garde, they play tunes that are reminiscent of Radiohead and Led Zeppelin to MMW and Los Lobos. They caught the eye of the godfather of Detroit jazz, MARCUS BELGRAVE at Jazzfest try-outs. Appearing on their upcoming release, Mr. Belgrave adds yet another dimension to this diamond in the rough. With friends like these, who can resist what isn’t weird, but STRANGE. - Metrotimes

I used to hate bands for sustaining one mood for an entire record. I always had this desire to sneak up behind Mazzy Star or that Cowboy Junkies chick, clunk her with a two-by-four and say, “Let’s see you whisper now, sullen chanteuses d’amour!” But I realized that since nobody ever criticizes a Stephen King novel for being persistently creepy or an Ingmar Bergman film for being one long frownfest, I oughta at least give a band credit for having its one emotion down cold. The Strange have this minor-key spookiness they maintain while their seven-song mini-album flirts with jazz, quiet prog-rock, jazz again (with a guest appearance by jazz heavyweight Marcus Belgrave) and a bit o’ lounge soul without the matching suits. Their bio gives a lot of lip service to Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, but the pensioner in me also hears a sedate Robert Plant fronting Argent, then morphing into Colin Blumstone sitting in with Coldplay while Chris Martin beats up some photographers. What the Strange change every song is the coloring behind gifted singer Brent McKay (Full disclosure: McKay works in the Metro Times sales department). This makes for a vibe that continually throbs and expands — just like a goddamned lava lamp! This album’s undeniable exquisitivity (yeah, I’m thinking it’s a word — you gonna challenge me, Roget?) should be enough to tempt anyone.

- Metrotimes

Eclectic and earnest, the Strange is a group of five serious musicians who are in the business for the love of their craft. The band started out as a three-piece instrumental project involving the Strange's current members Nathan Murphy and Erik Nordin. Vocalist Brent McKay started coming to the groups' shows, pestering them for a chance to add his self-proclaimed angelic voice to their music. Fortunately, he had the pipes to back up his claim.......... - Detroit News