Manchester-based duo Barely Strangers enamor on their new track “Mess Around,” strutting a yearning vocal drive alongside a melodic sound that bridges ’80s jangly nostalgia with a modern, hooky charisma. Inspirations like The Stone Roses and The Smiths show in the budding guitar-laden ascent, as the “I need you now,” vocal declaration conveys a soaring captivation, reminiscent of more contemporary names like Smith Westerns.
Recorded in the band’s basement studio, “Mess Around” moves from the bass-heavy “think about you,” sentiments with seamless entrancement into the moment of self-realization, where one aspires for complacent yearning to grow into an actionable drive. Sentiments like “I sink without you,” further those relatable themes, set against a harmonious array of jangly guitar introspection and alluring vocal dreaminess. “Mess Around” is a resonating success from Barely Strangers, which comprises vocalist/guitarist Patrick Ryan and multi-instrumentalist Sam West (multi-instrumentalist), with Tyler Bolton on drums.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
