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Wistful pop purveyors Grandstands have launched their debut album ‘Stranger’ on tape and digitally. Grandstands have been floating around for years now, a four-piece singing the bittersweet romance of everyday life and playing the suburban blues. Their first album, ‘Stranger’, has been years in the making, but when something means something to you, you want to take your time with it. The songs were coaxed out, slowly, steadily, surely—both delayed and inspired by the daily routines of the band. Tunes written in flashes of passion were matured by time and distance. Harmonies grew more complex, melodies became ever sweeter. The two lead singles from the album, ‘Getting Out’ and ‘Stranger (In A Sense)’, reflect the time taken and the effort spent. These are songs of battered optimism and patient beauty, anthems for dashed dreamers everywhere. When it came time to record ‘Stranger’, the band Did It Themselves, splitting the sessions between a friend’s kitchen and a converted bra