STRGZR Unleashes an Electrifying Debut with "Sad Machine"

Austin, MN-based band STRGZR enters through the galaxy with the release of their first single, "Sad Machine." A song that is a fusion of 90s/2000s alt-rock nostalgia and modern indie vibe, "Sad Machine" represents what it means to be human to those in a world dominated by artificial intelligence and digital detachment.

From its opening chords, the track seizes listeners with its raw ardency, tempering churning guitars, and some viscous synth wash with a melody that strains upward and sticks. The song is pretty catchy, but continuing behind the anthemic hooks lays the deeper narrative that grapples with the growing reality of isolation, pining for connection and the blurred lines of living a human life vs. a synthetic one.

Eric Bobak, the mastermind behind STRGZR, has spent years crafting the sounds of such bands as Never Say Never, Five Year Echo, and The Singles. Now, three under his belt and stepping into his voice, Bobak extracts personal experiences and cosmic wonder to make his "Sad Machine." Drawing on the stillness of the pandemic and the mysteries of the night sky, that of the northern lights in particular, his music merges light and shadow, introspection, and expansiveness, creating a sound world that feels at once intimate and expansive.

With "Sad Machine," STRGZR betokens his presence. The track is a departure from what has become the mainstream in alternative rock, an invigorating somewhere between an echo and an innovation of the past. It's a song for anyone who has felt lost in the noise of our digital world, seeking something more authentic in an increasingly two-dimensional age.

This is just the beginning. "Sad Machine" is the first taste of STRGZR's ever-expanding sonic cosmos, with a full-length album of the same name coming this summer. And judging by this debut single, alternative and indie rock fans are in for something unique.

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