For the previous 18 years, Ross Farrar has been leaving Ceremony, a California punk band that has been via tons of various stylistic evolutions, from frantic powerviolence to stately synthpop. Ceremony have been doing loads of touring currently, they usually launched a twinkly two-song post-punk single, “Vanity Spawned By Fear” b/w “California Poppy,” final 12 months. These days, Farrar additionally leads the superb post-hardcore band Spice; they launched Viv, a banger of a sophomore album, final 12 months. And now Ross Farrar can also be making music on his personal.
Today, with out any advance warning, Ross Farrar, utilizing the identify RJF, launched his debut solo album Going Strange. This music is usually sluggish, spare post-punk, constructed round echoed-out basslines and gentle synth-drones. Farrar doesn’t sing or scream a lot as intone. His lyrics have a unfastened, poetic feeling, and he slathers his voice in reverb.
In his different bands, Farrar sings however doesn’t play devices; Going Strange represents him attempting a couple of issues out for himself. The finish result’s one thing dubby and idiosyncratic and oddly fairly. I’m not even certain tips on how to describe this factor — if Majical Cloudz had been a Dischord band within the ’90s, perhaps? But I’m absolutely on board. Stream Going Strange beneath.
The self-released Going Strange is out now, and you will get it at Bandcamp.