Premiere: War Strings, ‘Archer’ and ‘Seventeen’

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War Strings

Andrew Stogel’s debut album under the name War Strings figures to be the sound of one man just letting it rip — not just in bristling tones or sheer volume, but in opening a vein of emotions.

The songwriter and multi-instrumentalist spent the better part eight months bedridden after sustaining a serious concussion in March 2018. Stogel, who previously fronted the indie-rock outfit Dreamers Dose and helmed his solo project LOVEYOU, sorted through all manner of darkness and light while conceiving the songs for the record — if it sounds abrasive and more than a little bit emo, he should make no apologies. The album, after all, is titled “Who Cares How It Ends.”

This week, he unveils two new singles. The raucous “Seventeeen” announces itself with a roar, bursting in melodic ferocity reminiscent of underground heroes like Dinosaur Jr. Opposite that is lulling (by comparison) “Archer,” a woebegone confession Stogel sings in an almost-breakable voice over gentle guitar. In the hands of a lesser lyricist, it might sound whiny, but Stogel’s penchant for internal rhymes keeps it exceedingly tender. “Before I knew it everything’s forsaken or for sale / all I wanted was for you to wish me well,” he sings at the end, and it’s easy for the listener to feel that way, too.

||| Stream: “Archer” and “Seventeen”

||| Also: Stream “Tragedy”

||| Previously: “My Alien Heart”