Nation Of Language - Strange Disciple (LP)

Nation of Language’s third album, Strange Disciple, lands like a late-night confession you can dance to. Released on September 15, 2023, it sharpens the Brooklyn trio’s gift for sleek, aching synth-pop without losing the scrappy spirit that made their early singles feel like secret handoffs between devotees. Ian Devaney’s voice carries the romance and restlessness at the center, while Aidan Noell’s synths glow with that perfect mix of shimmer and bite. Alex MacKay’s bass keeps everything moving forward in clean lines. It’s a classic post-punk and new wave palette, but the band treats it like living language rather than a museum exhibit.

Reuniting with producer Nick Millhiser, known from Holy Ghost!, they lean into precision and pulse. The sound is tight, not fussy. Drum machines snap, synths bloom, bass lines hook into your ribs. “Sole Obsession” set the tone as the first single, all nervous ecstasy and ritual motion. “Weak In Your Light” follows like a deep breath after the chase, letting the melodies float a little higher while the rhythm section never loses its grip. “Too Much, Enough” aims its focus at media overload and the jumpy, addictive lurch of the modern news cycle, then wraps that idea in a chorus that refuses to let go. “Spare Me the Decision” is all clipped rhythm and glassy keys, the kind of tune that makes you want to walk faster down a city block.

Devaney said around the release that Strange Disciple turns over the idea of obsession and devotion, in romance and beyond, and you can hear that thread run through the record. The title conjures a believer who can’t quite decide whether faith is a thrill or a trap. Nation of Language plays with that tension in small gestures. Choruses feel like mantras. Bridges press their faces against the window and decide whether to go inside. The band’s references are easy to trace, but the writing cuts close to the bone. There’s a humility to it. No sermon, just scenes of keeping the flame lit.

What keeps me coming back is how these songs balance head and body. On “Sole Obsession,” MacKay’s bass is a clean engine, never showy, while Noell threads arpeggios that seem to move the air around them. Devaney doesn’t crowd the beat. He sits inside it, and the melodies do the rest. “Weak In Your Light” is a reminder that this group can write a ballad without sagging. The synths have space between them, and when the chorus opens up, it’s like a streetlight flickering on at just the right moment. “Sightseer” brings a bittersweet glide, a little wanderer’s heart tucked into the arrangement. The sequencing is careful. Tempos shift, moods turn, but the album never loses its line of sight.

If you love texture, this is a record to own on wax. Strange Disciple vinyl brings out the low-end warmth and the high-end shimmer so well that it feels almost tactile, especially on a good system. The transient snap on the drum programming, the slight grit in the synth oscillators, the faint room around Devaney’s voice, it all widens. Nation of Language vinyl tends to disappear from shelves quickly, so if you plan to buy Nation of Language records online, keep an eye on restocks and color variants. It also sits nicely alongside other Nation of Language albums on vinyl for a weekend turntable marathon. I’ve seen copies tucked in the staff picks at my local shop, and friends in a Melbourne record store swear it’s one of those side A records that converts anyone drifting near the listening station. If you’re digging through crates or browsing vinyl records Australia listings, this is a safe blind buy.

Strange Disciple doesn’t try to reinvent their wheel. It polishes it, weights it better, and lets it roll farther down the road. The band has grown into their sound with calm confidence, and the songs feel lived in, not labored over. When the last track fades, you’re left with a steady glow and the sense that devotion, handled with care, can still be a liberating thing. For a group so often compared to the past, they make the present sound like a place worth staying.