Recently I stumbled across this album ‘Just a Stranger’ released earlier this year by Henri Cash from Starcrawler and Sophia Skye de Reeder, daughter of Pierre from Rilo Kiley (who also co-produced the record with Henri). The picture on the cover makes them look like the children of Jack White and Jenny Lewis and their sound isn’t far from that ideal mix either. The duo are fresh from supporting Rilo Kiley on some of their comeback shows.
Leaning into a mix of alt-country and indie rock influences the duo have captured a perfect sound. They alternate lead vocals on the album and songwriting credits. Sophia kicks off proceedings on ‘Stranger’ where she takes on the male perspective, singing about isolation and loneliness. The tune is catchy and the vocals are sweetly melancholic.
Henri’s voice is a mix of all the oddball greats, but soon you forget who he’s reminding you of and just listen to the great delivery. ‘Pasadena’ is a vintage country inspired love letter to his hometown, rejecting Tennessee in favour of the ‘smog’ and the girls he grew up with.
‘In My Sleep’ has a heavier more indie rock sensibility, with the duo sharing writing credits on this one. Like Best Coast before her, ‘I Hate This City’ is a love letter to L.A., with Sophia rejecting New York for her hometown. On ‘Some People Don’t Change’ she sings over a sweet piano and steel guitar about her realisation that sometimes there’s nothing you can do to help others.
There’s a Byrds feel to ‘One More Turn’ and they make updating this vintage sound effortless, with Skye’s vocals really adding another dimension. ‘Waiting on the Day’ sounds like a fantastic classic country drinking song, straight from a honky tonk somewhere but the lyrics tell the tale of a world of rich, spoiled children.
‘Forgot to Write You A Love Song’ sounds as close to Rilo Kiley as anything on the album, written by Henri and sung by Sophia. ‘Closed’ has a dreamy, trippy feel to it. The layers of vintage influences combine perfectly across the album. They finish on dark duet ‘You Should Be’ which is more of a garage rocker, a menacing tale about the fear of being alone.
‘’Just a Stranger’ is a cool and confident sounding record that has a melancholic heart, perfect for indie kids and alt-country fans alike. The only downside to a project like this is that with so many commitments with his main band and other projects on the go for Henri Cash, they might not be a full time consideration. Whatever happens though, this fantastic album shows both him and Sophia to be real talents with bright futures.
Highway Queens 
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