Pointedly anxiety-inducing through almost the entire track “Head (Am I Out of My?)” from LA’s Grady Strange is oddly comforting in the way it creates a soundscape for the questions a lot of people struggle with in the modern world. The frantically looped drum and bass track at its core is infectious at first, then really starts to pull you down into the questioning spiral leading to a whole verse that’s just one run-on sentence:
“And suddenly, the feeling you’ve been running after
wasn’t found by climbing up a ladder
or looking inside of your television
or beating all of the competition
or eating only healthy snacks or good fats
or having important people’s back
or making your stone-cold boss man laugh
or getting both of your eyebrows waxed.”
Followed sharply by a rhythmic and melodic reprieve that feels like a 30-second vacation before delving back into the now-familiar loop. This song might not be your next great road trip playlist song, but Grady Strange has certainly channeled some of David Byrne’s poignant, frantic, and introspective songwriting with this track.
