Pick of the Week: Bartees Strange “Sober”

Graphics by Riley Vecchione

By Fenton Wright, Staff Writer

If you want a song that is painstakingly true and explicit in the way it describes love, look no further than “Sober” by Bartees Strange. Strange gives us a brutal look at how he views love, and the repercussions of never having a good example of it when growing up. Through “Sober,” he takes us on a journey of reflection and self-discovery.

What is Love?

Throughout the entirety of “Sober,” Bartees Strange takes us into his mind. Through the song, we learn what Strange views love as in the real world. His view of love and how love is shown is shaped by his childhood. Through lyrics such as, “Yes, all men, crooks and robbers and still, nobody told us a hard truth when she needs softness,” we learn that Strange views love as something that, from a man’s point of view, lacks true emotion. Traditionally men are taught to be stoic and unemotional, and here Strange is making a commentary on how that is the case. He also goes on to express his belief that this hurts women in relationships. The lack of sensitivity that some men display leaves their partners feeling not cared for or not loved, and Strange sees this all around him.

In other lyrics, he realizes that his definition of love is skewed because he never had a “guiding light” to show him what a healthy, love-filled relationship is. Through this song he is expressing his own shortcomings and the shortcomings of others that are in love. Because of all of these problems, Strange sees drinking as an escape and therefore it is hard for him to not drink, to stay sober. 

A Lively Video

With such powerful lyrics, you would think that it would be hard to elevate them any higher than they already are. Bartees Strange manages to do just that with the music video of “Sober.” He drags us into this world where he and his band are performing on stage. His mannerisms give a new emotion to the song that could not have been achieved without this video. 

The video opens with Strange taking the stage and beginning the performance of his song “Sober.” As the performance continues, the video becomes hazy switching between each person onstage. When I first watched the video, it felt like the haziness of the video was supposed to embody the unclear definitions of love that Strange has. As the video carries on and into the bridge of the song, it only switches between images more and more, furthering the misconception of love that Bartees has developed in his life.

Music From the Soul

The song itself feels like it comes directly from the heart of Strange. It feels like a cry for help due to how little he knows about love. The soulfulness in the guitar, and power behind the drums make the song feel even more alive than it already is. The bridge of the song is a slow ending to a hurricane; it feels reminiscent of the void that is left within Strange, knowing that he has no meaningful definition or representation of love.

What’s In Store?

After listening to such an amazing song, you might be sitting there wanting more Bartees Strange. Luckily for you, he is slated to release his next studio album, Horror, on February 14 next year. On top of his new album coming out in just under two months, Strange is currently on tour and will be until the beginning of the summer.