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Fortuna | Popstrangers

Fortuna by Popstrangers, released 27 May 2014 1. Sandstorm 2. Don't Be Afraid 3. Distress 4. Country Kills 5. Violet 6. Tonight 7. Her 8. Destine 9. Right Babies 10. What's On Your Mind? "Fortuna", the second full length from New Zealand trio Popstrangers, trades the grunge revivalism of the band’s previous releases for buoyant hooks and ’60s pop. Pairing their minor-key riffs with pervasively melancholic songwriting, the band’s refined sense of melody is on full display on Fortuna, which echoes the classic guitar pop of their homeland’s Flying Nun Records. Recorded over five days in London, Popstrangers’ warped tales of infatuation and aggression are anchored by Joel Flyger’s tactile vocals, which steep in subterranean effects before ripping clean through the album’s choruses. The band’s pop sensibilities are at their best on standout “Country Kills,” where Flyger shrugs off his looming demise with a wink and an indelible riff. “My country will kill me now, but w