Altogether Stranger


Altogether Stranger is the fourth studio album by American indie rock musician Lael Neale. It was released on May 2, 2025, by Sub Pop Records.

Background

The first album since Star Eaters Delight in 2023, Altogether Stranger consists of nine tracks with a total runtime of approximately thirty-two minutes. The lead single, "Tell Me How to Be Here", was released on February 20, 2025, alongside a music video directed by Neale and Guy Blakeslee, following the announcement of the album. Neale, discussing her time on a farm in Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic in an interview with Under the Radar, described the album as her "reaction to being back in the city again but more in an aggravated way."

Reception

AllMusic rated the album four stars and remarked, "With this album, Neale manages to translate existential torment into strange and beautiful sounds, yet again progressing with the chimerical vision of rock & roll that's uniquely her own." John Aizlewood of Mojo assigned it a rating of four out of five, stating "It's hardly a career fork, but Altogether Stranger is a significant upgrade," and describing the songs as "dystopian but hopeful, image-drenched."

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.