The second album from New Zealand-born, London-based trio Popstrangers, Fortuna is a sojourn further down the rabbit hole from 2011's angular Antipodes, sliding down the chute of sun-warped tape machine pop and Deerhunter lite pop/rock subversions. Opener Sandstorm is a tired warble of paisley psych-pop that is nevertheless underscored by hyper-real unease; Don't Be Afraid feels even more broken, a corrupted song of faux posterity. The post-punk demarcations of the past are decidedly tempered here, Popstrangers intent instead on creating an austere atmosphere that leaks menace through the spiderweb cracks. A measured experiment, Fortuna will grow on you.
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