Introspective and self-contained, ‘Strangers’ by Ring Ring Rouge is an indie-rock track that plods into your ears with its repetitive guitar section and subtle backing synths. It’s a piece that comes together, both musically and lyrically, to make you feel reflective. And it’s pretty successful at this.
What it’s not so successful at, sadly, is being enjoyable and making you want to listen to it more than once. As effective in terms of reflection it may be, it’s a song that doesn’t really go much beyond the first 30 seconds. The repetition of the guitar section becomes tedious quickly, and this section makes up the bulk of the track. After two minutes, your mind switches off to the music and most reflective opportunities.
The end of the track is by far the most enjoyable part. After a few minutes of droning dirge, things pick up and a storm of overdriven guitars and brass synths come together to make something which runs the risk of catching your attention. It’s a nice note to end on, but not enough to save the track.
You can listen to the track and watch the video below.
