How Strange It Is Share “Tough Luck,” Second Single from Debut Album

Portland band How Strange It Is have released “Tough Luck,” the latest preview from their upcoming debut album, There Is No Evil. The track follows “Slime,” the lead single that paired a hazy shoegaze surface with a direct, melodic indie-pop core.

Where “Slime” pushed forward with bright, plucked guitar lines and a propulsive rhythm section, “Tough Luck” moves at a slower, more introspective pace. The song sits closer to the worn-in textures of Sparklehorse than to the more maximalist moments of contemporary guitar music, with a vocal delivery that feels conversational and unguarded. It is less a stylistic shift than a display of range, suggesting the album will not rely on a single mood.

The band has kept details about There Is No Evil limited, but the two singles indicate a group comfortable moving between polished indie rock and something more frayed. For a debut album that arrives with modest expectations, that versatility suggests a band less interested in defining itself narrowly. “Tough Luck” does not announce itself loudly, but it holds attention through its restraint.