Album Review: Strand Of Oaks - HEAL

The songwriting of Timothy Showalter on his fourth release as Strand Of Oaks is direct, cathartic and vulnerable. John Congleton’s production complements the brokenness and urgency in the lyrics with a musical energy and ferocity in driving drums, squealing guitars and layered synths.

It’s painfully honest but accessible, beautiful and affecting. There’s not a weak song on the album, the opening numbers immediately grabbing attention. Emotional highlights are Mirage Year and JM, the former the heart-wrenching yowl of a man confronting his wife’s infidelity, the latter an ode to the late musician Jason Molina.