Anti-Inflammatory by Dr. Strangely Strange
Just when you thought the world couldn't get any stranger, Ireland's favorite psychedelic physicians have reopened their musical practice. After a 28-year hiatus that had fans checking their calendars (and their medications), Dr Strangely Strange are back with "Anti-Inflammatory" – a remedy for these troubled times that's definitely not available over the counter.
The original Strangelies, now in their (very) early eighties but still carrying a license to thrill, have teamed up with their 'new' boy Joe Thoma (who's only been playing fiddle and mandolin with them since 1980, bless him) to concoct their most potent brew yet. Recorded in a Clonakilty studio under the watchful eye of producer Brian Casey, this album proves that some doctors really do make house calls after all these years.
From Tim Goulding's elegiac "Like Water like Wind" to Ivan Pawle's cattle-herding romance "Drive 'Em Down," each track is a house visit to a different corner of the Strangelies' peculiar universe. And when Tim Booth's "Baby Bunting" rides a Bo Diddley beat into the afterlife, you'll swear these musical medics have found the cure for aging itself.
For those who've been waiting since 1997's "Alternative Medicine" for another consultation, or newcomers wondering what these doctors have been prescribing all these years, "Anti-Inflammatory" is just what the shamans ordered. No referral necessary.
Tracklist
| 1. | Up With The Lark | 2:51 |
| 2. | Baby Bunting | 3:14 |
| 3. | Like Water Like Wind | 2:40 |
| 4. | Sulán | 2:26 |
| 5. | Rosenallis Two-step | 4:28 |
| 6. | Drive 'em Down | 4:50 |
| 7. | Murmuration | 3:36 |
| 8. | Morning Song | 2:19 |
| 9. | Back In The Day | 2:40 |
| 10. | Vienna | 2:07 |
Videos
Credits
All tracks produced by Brian Casey.
This album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Wavefield Studios.
Cover design by Tim Booth using found bead art from Mexico and also illustrations made using Night Cafe AI.
Design and layout by Adam Mallett.
Special thanks to: Marymac Pawle, Doris Knoebel, Georgina Goulding and Clare Thoma for letting us out. Rayne Booth for application expertise. Mary Greene for her perfect harmony. Doris Knoebel, and Pat and Ber Horgan for accommodation and catering. Roger Houdaille at TLAK for unfailing support. Adrian Whittaker for all his hard work and enthusiasm on our behalf, his unfailing advice - which we unfailingly ignore - and for introducing us to Roger Houdaille and TLAK. And to Deena - Adrian’s other half - for being herself. And very extra special thanks to Brian Casey and Sarah O’Mahony for their friendship, empathy, care and coffee with cake throughout the entire process.
"Like fire we burn…”
© ℗ 2025 Think Like A Key Music issued under exclusive license from Dr. Strangely Strange. All rights of the original owner and producer of the recorded work reserved.
License
All rights reserved.
Dr. Strangely Strange, pioneers of Irish psychedelic folk, charmed the world with classics like Kip of the Serenes and Heavy Petting. Now, they’re back with Anti-Inflammatory, their first album in decades, arriving April 2025. Filled with wit, warmth, and their signature quirky charm, it’s a must-listen for fans old and new.