Vault, Vol. 1
is the first of an expected three collections by synth pop-leaning indie rockers
STRFKR
. Arriving after their fourth full-length, it consists of previously unreleased recordings salvaged from bandleader
Josh Hodges
' computer, some pre-dating the band's first album by a couple of years. Considered a peek into
Hodges
' creative process, most of the 20 tracks are one- or two-minute snippets of songs that will be of interest only to dedicated fans. They consist of guitar and keyboard demos, along with a few that are more fleshed-out, like the 100-second "Boogie Woogie." Some of the clips are pretty darn catchy, though, and the trippy "Only Humans" clocks in at over six minutes. ~ Marcy Donelson