This selection was chosen by Gen X dad.

Gen X dad says… Over the last decade or so I managed to completely miss a resurgence of electro/synth pop in the indie scene. That’s ironic I guess since the synth pop of the late 1970s and early 1980s was one of my first loves. Starting in the mid to late 2000s a whole slate of groups and artists around the world seems to have rediscovered drum machines, analog synths, and catchy melodies. To be fair, this sort of music really never went away.

STRFKR is from Portland, Oregon. The band started out in 2007 as a solo project by Joshua Hodges. He’d released a couple of albums prior as Sexton Blake prior to starting STRFKR. The band’s name was originally Starfucker, but they shortened it STRFKR in 2012. It was the right call as it looks a bit cooler and reflects the nature of their music better. Future Past Life is the band’s sixth album and fourth for Champaign, Illinois record label Polyvinyl.

A queasy, wobbly synth line kicks off the first track on the album and closes out the final track. In between there’s a clutch of catchy, danceable songs driven by a pleasant mix of acoustic guitar, various synths, and Joshua Hodges harmonized vocals. But, the starting and ending synth bit is a good indicator that there’s more going on beneath the shiny surface. These sound like happy songs as long as you’re not listening to the words. The lyrics are smart and clever, but shot through with bits of cynicism and darkness.

Highlights for me – Never The Same, Second Hand, Better Together, and the not exactly a suite but kind of with the closing two tracks Pink Noise and Cold Comfort. Worth checking out.

Gen Z son says… Usually band names can be a bit tricky, and they often have a bunch of crazy backstories behind them. Some band names are easily recognizable, some are cleverly constructed, and, as usual, some can be pretty grim. To me, STRFKR just barely fall into this category with their pretty suggestive name, a dumbed-down version of “Star [‘F-Word’]”. At least it’s not as bad as the “Surfers”, though.

So, STRFKR are a band from the city of Portland, Oregon. They are signed to Polyvinyl Records, a label well-known for also releasing records by emo prodigies American Football, who are very well-known on the internet, thanks to 4chan’s /mu/ board. STRFKR’s music has also been featured in movies such as 21 & Over and the film adaptation of The Fault In Our Stars (the latter of which also contains pop legend Charli XCX’s hit single, Boom Clap).

When first listening to their most recent release, Future Past Life, you would probably be forgiven for thinking that you were listening to either an MGMT or Apples In Stereo record. The distinct sound of late 00s to early 2010s indie pop is noticeably present throughout the album, but STRFKR do definitely make most of it their own thing. To produce their sound, they combine traditional acoustic instruments with nostalgic, chiptune-reminiscent synthesizers. There’s even a bit of Cage The Elephant’s signature blend of upbeat melodies and not-so-upbeat lyrics.

Overall, Future Past Life is a strong, enjoyable listen. It definitely meets the goal of the band’s music, which is, as stated by member Joshua Hodges – to make “dance music that you can actually listen to, that’s good pop songs, but also you can dance to it”. I’d say that’s definitely what this album’s made of.