Local Review: Jr. Detective — Stranger Friend

Jr. Detective
Stranger Friend
Self-Released
Street: 07.25.2025
Jr. Detective = The Solids + Sonic Youth + Broken Bells

Currently split between Salt Lake City and Louisville, Jr. Detective is something of a long-distance relationship. The five-piece band consists of Alex Dobson (rhythm guitar/vocals), Corey Elmore (bass), Chris Holmes (drums), Kate Tyree (violin) and Austin Warren (lead guitar/piano). The band’s 2025 EP, Stranger Friend, features four long, emotional tracks that take you on a sonic journey. 

Right from the jump, the album’s title track, “Stranger Friend,” drenches you in the immersive world that is the band’s sound. Beginning with an anticipatory rolling drumbeat, the song builds a dreamy, somewhat nostalgic soundscape — just the kind of track you would hear in a poignant coming-of-age film. The narrative of the lyrics explores the way dark or traumatic events make us desperately want to return to better days, to go back to our youth. At six minutes and 40 seconds, “Stranger Friend” is the EP’s shortest track, including a crashing breakdown where the drums and violin converse for an extended period of time.

On the second track, we take a detour from yearning for the innocence you can never truly get back and instead settle deep into an emotional low. The introductory guitar riff of “Loose Lips” pulls you down to the cold, hard ground just before Tyree’s violin kicks in with a melancholic cry to sing with the guitar in an aching harmony. The lyrics, delivered in Dobson’s characteristic meandering way, drive home a sense of exhaustion from the burden of keeping secrets and feeling pressure from others to be something else. A desperate and frantic drumbeat opens the outro of the song that ends in a haunting tone as the wavering and strained tenor vocals devolve into an emotive vocal fry to close the track.

Each track of Stranger Friend is over six minutes, marinating in itself, taking its time telling the story and grounding you in the emotional landscape. The EP takes you through four different worlds, each flavored with different genre influences. Fans of long-winded music genres like prog-rock will enjoy the extensive instrumental breakdowns featured on each track, such as the final three minutes of the aggressive, wailing third track, “Blindfolds.” “Blindfolds” is just the type of song you want to listen to at the end of a long and difficult day, with an abrupt rhythm shift right at the beginning as the vocals kick in and plenty of opportunities for yelling along while slamming your hand on the steering wheel to the beat of the drums. 

Jr. Detective closes out their sophomore EP with a dreamy love song, aptly named “Metropolis,” as it holds a distinct cinematic touch to it, bringing to mind images of indie New York romance. The guitar tugs on your heart the moment it comes in, and the easygoing delivery of the vocals conveys a sense of comfort and even a hint of blissful sleepiness. I would say “Metropolis” is the perfect looking-out-the-bus-window song, especially when the piano comes in at the very end, changing the sound to guide us into yet another world, then ending on a single droning note. “Metropolis” also features a beautiful, stripped-down bridge that drops to just drums before being joined by vocals and bass.

The tracks of Jr. Detective’s Stranger Friend flow perfectly into each other, making repeat listens feel like one cohesive experience, and while lengthy, never feel too long. While maybe a bit too intense for the casual listener, Stranger Friend is 27 wonderful minutes of authentic musical storytelling. —Joni Bianca

Read more local album music reviews:
Local Review: Shrimp Parade — Ribcage
Local Review: calico — 11 Ladybug Lucky