On most albums, there’s a single moment in which one leans into the album or leans away.  On Imaginary Boys, the moment arrives early, at 2:02 of the opening track.  The Middle Eastern groove of “Flaming Flamingo” has already been established with bass and breath, when suddenly the timbre shifts to modern composition with field recordings.  Only 22 seconds later, it shifts again to the tone of a suspense film in a darkened cinema.  But the track ends with the dominant presence of Theresa Stroetges’ wordless voice, flying speaker to speaker over a series of boings and light percussion.  This type of music is worth one’s full attention.

As Golden Diskó Ship, Stroetges has been making creative music for years, at first drawing comparisons to other artists, but now coming into her own.  She’s one of a group of inventive artists who subvert the ideas of radio-friendly music without dismantling them…