Mav Karlo - Strangers Like Us (2020)

Produced by Chris Coady (Amen Dunes, Beach House, Future
Islands) and recorded at two iconic studios (Sunset Sound in
L.A. and Sonic Ranch in the Texas border town of Tornillo),
Strangers Like Us marks a departure from the carefree indie-rock
of Versteeg’s now-defunct band Hollerado. With its gracefully
sparse arrangements, the album centers on Versteeg’s lyrical
storytelling, revealing a narrative voice deeply attuned to the
beauty in the ordinary and routinely overlooked. Despite that
stripped-back approach, Strangers Like Us draws incredibly rich
texture from Versteeg’s delicate melodies and warm vocal work,
and from the spirited performances of guest musicians like Katy
Goodman of Vivian Girls (on vocals), Charlie Spencer of Dizzy
(keys, drums), and Versteeg’s Hollerado bandmate Nixon Boyd
(guitar, bass). An album elegantly steeped in memory, Strangers
Like Us navigates the often-painful act of looking back with
grit and clarity and unbridled imagination.