There’s a certain overarching sweetness that consumes the Denver, New York based Strawberry Runners’ EP Hatcher Creek, but a close listen will reveal a far more complicated record. The pop-driven arrangements and saccharine melodies support lyrics filled with darkness. In the title track (streaming below), Emi Night’s lush vocals share an unfiltered look at childhood memories (“My dad keeps us up at night / And he kicks us hard when we try to hide / And my brother cries and I hold him close.”) The juxtaposition of the bouncy song with this kind of raw content conjures up a conflicting listening experience that’s at once uplifting and upsetting. The Strawberry Runners will be playing at the Silent Barn tonight (July 3rd), and then leave for a brief Northeast tour. – Lilly Milman
