Some Kind of Strange is the fourth release for the Los Angeles-based duo of kaRIN and Statik, also known as Collide. Collide is a suffusion of sultry female vocals and an almost industrial sound.

As with their previous release, Chasing the Ghost, Collide has used the talents of Chad Michael Ward from Digital Apocalypse Stuidos for their cover artwork. Presentation is an integral part of an album and this album is a visual gem. CD packaging and artwork are as essential to a release as the music itself. This is a very strong reason for not copying music, beside the obvious loss of revenue and appreciation to the artist for their hard work.

The album starts out with the track Crushed, which is an excellent example of what their music is all about; kaRIN's lush vocals floating in a torrent of guitar-driven and electronic music, balanced by soothing soundscapes and acoustic guitar. Though this band might be labeled as gothic, it doesn't quite fit, being somewhat down tempo and with a much fuller sound than found in many classic goth bands.

Euphoria, the next track, combines female vocals with varying acoustic and electric guitar, producing a most powerful sound. Modify progresses with a slow, twisting sound of acoustic guitar, layered with a dense background of electronic/orchestral sound. Track 5, Slither Thing, adds an almost lounge sound to the mix, which I found oddly catchy. Mutation is yet another superb example of kaRIN's soothing vocals, interwoven with crunchy, industrial music, creating something not easily fit into any one genre.

Overall, this a strong, consist release, representative of Collide's sound and worth a listen, as are their previous releases. Listeners of such varied artists as Delerium, Nine Inch Nails, Switchblade Symphony, Clan of Xymox, etc. would enjoy this band.