Since his 2020 debut LP Live Forever, Bartees Strange has defied genre and expectations, and his new third platter Horror follows form in refusing to be boxed in. The Oklahoma native moves convincingly through a palette ranging from indie rock and funk to R&B and grandiose banger anthems, stylistically torquing a tension as he mines a bedrock of insecurities and traumas. Yet with production from Jack Antonoff, Strange allays the risks of his versatility with an undeniable ability to craft instantly earworming hooks and melodies. Tré Burt’s smooth grooves set the stage to open. – Doug Freeman