New Wax Wednesday

Call it a case of, shall we say, “capitol gains.” The capitol spelling there is quite deliberate, for it relates to the Washington, D.C., hometown locale of the notable ethereal goth-rock band Strange Boutique, who are finally back on the scene with their first new album in 31 years, Let the Lonely Heart Sing. Think of putting Julee Cruise, Mazzy Star, and Cocteau Twins into a shoegazery blender along with quite a generous peppering in of their own original ether/aural twists, and you’ve got the dark-wave gist of Strange Boutique.

Featuring original members vocalist/lyricist Monica Richards and bassist Steve Willett and latter-day guitarist Dennis Kane and a trio of drummers alongside the Boutique Strings on four of its tracks, Strange Boutique’s Let the Lonely Heart Sing LP was officially released yesterday, June 10, 2025, via The Circle Music, a Greek label, in a pair of vinyl options: 1) transparent marbled turquoise-and-black vinyl, and 2) splatter purple-and-black vinyl. Both versions of this new 1LP set come in a respective limited edition capped at 250 copies. Each version of Let the Lonely Heart Sing sports an SRP of €26, and they come with a printed inner sleeve. You can order your copy direct from The Circle Music here.

The vinyl was pressed at Takt Direct in Austria, and while the source material came from digital files, trust me — the breadth of Strange Boutique’s ever-enticing arrangements aren’t compromised in the least. In short, if you’re in the mood for an uber-dreamy alt-pop kind of vibe, you’ve come to the right place. (I went with the marbled turquoise-and-black vinyl option, btw.) The Music rates an 8.5 (though it still might go up, given time!), and the Sound rates a solid 8. My current favorite track is the strings-tinged “Under Surface” (Side A, Track 4) — but that’s subject to change, as I also can’t seem to get enough of the infectious, shimmery Gretsch guitar work and wavering yet commanding vocals on “Jet Stream” (Side B, Track 1). The more I listen, the more I love. You can get a taste of it all yourself in the band’s official YouTube clip for “Jet Stream,” as seen below.

Strange Boutique bassist Steve Willett shares his thoughts about the LP version of Let the Lonely Heart Sing exclusively with AP. “As a vinyl collector myself, I’m thrilled to have our new album available on vinyl,” he notes. The mixing for Let the Lonely Heart Sing was done at Ivakota, Washington D.C., by Kane and Willett. As to the mastering, Willett confirms with us that “we worked with Dan Coutant at Sunroom Audio on the mastering, and he did a great job. The sound of the LP is just fantastic. The low-end is right there, giving the music the weight and presence we wanted without being overwhelming or muddy.”

How so? “There is so much clarity on the top end of the vocals and guitars, and the depth that the strings added to the arrangements really just came to life on the vinyl edition of the LP,” Willett (seen below) continues. “All of the dynamics and lushness we were chasing is there in between the grooves.”

Willett has a philosophy similar to ours when it comes to the seemingly endless analog vs. digital debate. “People can debate the analog vs. digital thing all day long — and both have their merits,” he observes. “I mean, I listen to music on CD and on vinyl. But there are certain albums and artists that I want to have on vinyl. For me, the vinyl format is so much more personal. It’s a tangible piece of art that connects the listener to the artist in a way that a CD doesn’t. Perhaps because it’s larger or maybe it’s the awesome color vinyl, or perhaps because it’s more fragile than a CD that an LP demands a certain amount of care that makes it more personal.” (Hear, hear.)

“Working with The Circle Music on the vinyl edition has been such a positive experience,” concludes Willett. “Their production team that handled both the printing of the artwork and the vinyl pressing is top-notch. And, holy smokes, the color vinyl is ridiculously cool.” (Very much agreed!)

If you look closely at the cover art above, you’ll notice that Let the Lonely Heart Sing features a cicada right down the middle, a choice that is revealed to be deeply meaningful to the band. As vocalist/lyricist Monica Richards (shown below) explains via a press statement, “I designed the cover as a mystical array surrounding a cicada. The cicada has long been known as a symbol of resurrection and transformation due to its fascinating life cycle. As a Washington, D.C., band, we were very attuned to the cicada every summer — as well as the 17-year cicadas — when the trees of DC would be filled with their ghostly sounds. This also blends perfectly with the title Let the Lonely Heart Sing, which is [also] a lyric in one of our songs. Steve Willett and I feel it is the perfect symbol for a new album cover to show that Strange Boutique is back!”

Some more SB background now, via official press materials (along with some of my own added commentary). Following their heyday in the early ’90s underground scene, Strange Boutique have since cultivated a revered status within the goth/rock and post-punk communities. Known for their unique blend of powerful, guitar-driven ethereal pop infused with world music influences and mystical imagination, the band was a beloved fixture of the D.C. club scene from 1987 to their bittersweet farewell show at the original Black Cat DC in November 1993.

While Richards went on to achieve further acclaim with the goth band Faith and the Muse, interest in Strange Boutique never truly waned. Their three albums — The Loved One (1991, on Bedazzled), Charm (1993, on Bedazzled), and The Kindest Worlds (1994, on Bedazzled) — continue to resonate with fans. In 2024, The Circle Music reissued The Loved One in blue and gold/black marbled vinyl options, and the still infectious track “Drown” (Side 2, Track 4) just plays oh-so-sumptuously (to use a technical term) whenever the needle drops onto the wax. Here’s hoping both Charm and The Kindest Worlds get their own respective dues on vinyl sooner than later.

The seeds of Strange Boutique’s return were sown after the tragic murder of their seminal guitarist Fred “Freak” Smith in 2017. This sad event brought Richards and Willett back together, leading to a sold-out reunion show in Fred’s honor at the aforementioned Black Cat DC in 2019. Guitar duties were handled by Dennis Kane, a friend and protégé of Fred’s. The energy of that night sparked a renewed creative fire, and new songs began to take shape — and, in a wonderful moment of uplifting full-circle positivity, Strange Boutique will celebrate the release of Let the Lonely Heart Sing with a special live performance at the Black Cat DC on July 12, 2025. More information about the band and that upcoming performance can be found here on the band’s official site. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and order a copy of the Let the Lonely Heart Sing LP today. You’re here with me / Sinking in my miracle prestige. . .

STRANGE BOUTIQUE
LET THE LONELY HEART SING
1LP (The Circle Music/Boutique Things)

Side A
1. The Night Birds
2. Radium Kiss
3. Twelve Chimes
4. Under Surface

Side B
1. Jet Stream
2. Zoid In Dreamland
3. Calliope
4. Whistle, And I Will Come To You