Bartees Strange is a singer/songwriter based in Washington, DC, whose music stylistically roams above genre boundaries, hovering over alternative R&B while he plays synth pop in the background, or mixes indie folk with layers of Bon Iver style soundscapes before breaking into hard-nosed indie rock, or ventures into the post-punk territory. None of this mix and match sounds forced or contrived. Instead, it feels like Strange is simply responding to what the song demands. His determination to serve the music wherever it takes him may get casual listeners confused, since his music seems to want to go in different directions often, but a little acclimation brings in great rewards. His first EP, Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy, was a reimagining five songs from The National's catalog.