There’s a distinct, striking quality to ‘Beautiful Stranger’. Something we’d describe as magnificent decadence. You see, the track is certainly melancholic and nostalgic, yet it carries a heightened sense of grandeur, an epic and anthemic character that makes for an intense, expansive listening experience. It would fit what the TikTok boys call ‘main character energy’. Behind such a strong record, we find Pittsburgh-based songwriter and producer Mitchell McDermott, under his stage moniker The Hell Club.
Penning a truly personal and evocative piece, McDermott envisioned ‘Beautiful Stranger’ as an aural space where he could be honest and wholesome. His story is unique: mistaking depression for devotion, the American creative confesses his painful history with religion, a tale that we suspect might be relatable for a large audience out there. Yet, there’s no bitterness in the song, as McDermott still carries a sensitive outlook over it. ‘Beautiful Stranger’ is the perfect evidence of that, a soothingly poignant effort that feels hypnotic and cathartic.
Delving deeper into the single, The Hell Club explains: “It’s definitely not a love song. It’s about the saddest sadness I’ve known—trying to find God and purpose and instead finding the devil. Loving something so much you’d let it kill you.” ‘Beautiful Stranger’ is taken from McDermott’s upcoming album, ‘God’s Sick Trick’.
Recommended! Discover ‘Beautiful Stranger’ on Spotify:
