December 9 | Written By Harvey Dibden-Angus

Sometimes in the wake of discovery, you discover you’ve found something better than what you’d set out to look for in the first place. Not even necessarily better, but a more than suitable alternative, something different. The perpetual hunt for new music led me to Straylings one afternoon through the very happy medium of Spotify. Starting with some PJ Harvey, I let smart shuffle begin its industrious process. About 45 minutes into the rabbit hole and a track called ‘How  Long’ played. A week later, my editor coincidentally asked me to write about it.  

The musical group Straylings was founded by instrumentalist and producer Oliver Drake and singer - songwriter Dana Zeera. Following their comeback with ‘American Kid’ Psych-Folk duo Straylings drop the penultimate insight into their third studio album Call Back Your  Name with ‘How Long’.  

I think it’s both fair and safe to say that the intro at least is paying serious homage to The Eagles’  Hotel California. Dana’s vocals enter soon after the initial Eagles-esque acoustic guitar however,  and it becomes its own sound entirely. Her voice resembles the enchantingly distressful allure of  The Cranberries front - woman Dolores O’Riordan, combined with the soft mystique and whimsy of  

Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks. It’s a delightful combination, and the lyrics are a dazzling array of inquisition and metaphor that really make you feel immersed in a vintage rock and roll fable for the ages. Olivers instrumentals are nestled in psychedelia and folkish riffs, the perfect accompaniment to Dana’s vocals and a wonderful tribute to the golden era of rock music.  

“There is a sublime tension at the heart of this. Their accomplished melding of singer-songwriter  eloquence with rock band authenticity demands you take a listen.”  

SHINDIG!  

“Whilst the song has some darker themes of disconnection and power struggles, there’s a sort of  feelgood element to the drums and bass we wanted to bring out, that contrasts with that.” Straylings say of the single “So the song had somewhat of a colourful journey, and ended up being  one of the last on the album to be completed.”  

With help from BBC 6's Lauren Laverne and Steve Lamacq, Clash, and Shindig!, Straylings received praise from critics for their first and second albums. After that, they withdrew from the scene, focused on other endeavours, and moved back to the country. The two took their time building their studio and were steadfast in their belief that they should produce music according to their own terms. This resulted in a record that Straylings wrote, produced, and mixed all by themselves.  

“Full of glaring drama, comparable to PJ Harvey…grandiose and empowering. Pushing theatrically  into a world of their own making.”  

CLASH  

Their third studio album ‘Call Back Your Name’ was released on December 6th via Deadpan  .

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