Tally Spear is a British singer, songwriter, and musician from southwest London. She’s known for incorporating themes of social commentary and personal conflict into her alt-pop songs that fans who grew up in urban areas especially can relate to, and her latest track “Strangers” is no different.
The intro lyrics set the scene: “I’m sour, you’re bitter and we don’t balance out.” These are followed by a volume swell and an unhinged guitar solo feeding back to add chaos to the well-balanced thick rhythm section. The heavy dynamics drop so we can dive right into the story of the song.
The arrangement of fat, palm-muted guitar tones, thumping bass, and a very danceable drum beat demands that you dance along. Vocal stylings mimicking the likes of Hayley Williams and Cassadee Pope are the perfect cherry on top of this pop-rock sundae: “You’re just a little bit sugar-coated, and I can see through your bullshit.” The lead guitar adds a drizzle of salted caramel, complementing the song and adding a bit of the unexpected. The song is easy to follow and bop along to, with a very “fist in the air” chorus that will make you want to sing it as loud as you can with your friends in the car: “Now I’m marked and jaded, the fire’s faded / I’m better off on my own.”
If this song was released 20 years ago, we would all be adding the lyrics in a glittery font on our Myspace pages. It is an infectious bubblegum anthem that has a lot of heart and would absolutely stand up in the pit.
Follow Tally Spear: Spotify // Soundcloud // Instagram // X
