With the release of Act II: Mind Travel, Margo Price shares three more songs that widen the time-bending world of Strays II. Out in full on October 13th, the nine-track expansion to 2023’s acclaimed Strays LP is a triptych of musical exploration, each part telling its own unique story of love, grief and acceptance.
Act II: Mind Travel enters a psychedelic journey where one ponders the past, and embraces the present with open arms. Inspired by beat poetry, out-of-body experiences and the loss of Price’s family farm, Strays II’s second of three acts includes the previously unheard “Black Wolf Blues,” “Mind Travel” and “Unoriginal Sin (feat. Mike Campbell),” all available now via Loma Vista Recordings.
“Black Wolf Blues” sounds melancholy with its starting lyrics. “Storms around the hill Always think of Jacob Always seems safe Wrong thing at the right time But now he’s long gone So are my chances hearing any good news Through this time”. The song talks about different characters that seemed to be Price’s close friends in her lifetime. She reminisces about her younger year. “Something’s always better nothing at all”. She puts herself in the shoes of a wolf in the forest “Black wolf is running out through the trees Red eyes on fire hungry heart”. There are Christian elements involved in the song “Lord won’t you save us from the evil in the world Keep that old black wolf out of my yard”. After this, the instrumental goes on for a while; about thirty seconds. The theme of light shows up again after a storm. “Storms getting closer right outside of town…the people onto him because they needed something holy Faith and prayers”. The song ends with Price asking the son of God to rid the black wolf again.
“Mind Travel” starts off with a piano and several other instruments playing in the background. Price sings about sex, drugs, and love. “Sex sells, but poetry kills when Roe was a slut but…was on pills… I don’t know which one I am I’ve been with a woman but I’ve been a man”. Price sings about travel; this could be about a literal trip through the country, or a drug induced trip, or neither. “Leaving myself behind I’m not going nowhere I’m just traveling in my mind”. The instrumental goes on for fifteen seconds, then Price sings again. “I’ve followed the crowds I’m lost on the path The stars were equations but I can’t do math I’ve dug in the earth I’ve planted a seed”. She then puts herself in the place of the tree. “I’ve sat for a while until I was a tree I opened my heart and went down in the hole They say isolation is good for the soul”. She repeats “I’m just traveling in my mind”. The song ends with the instrumental closing out.
“Unoriginal Sin” begins with a theme of hierarchy. “Theres a charge here I want to talk to the king Who’s been starving the artist While the dead men dream…more dead people going to take a bite”. Title drop. “Unoriginal sin is that the best you can do? I expected more out of you”. There may be a theme of self-harm in the song. “I don’t care what you do now to yourself anymore You can do what you want There’s an open door”. At the second minute, the instrumental goes on for ten seconds. Price then repeats the title and “I expected more out of you” which closes out the song.
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