As of today, Chilean quartet Astro gives away their self-titled album for 10 days only (Nov 1st-10th)! Read the full album review below.
____________________________________________
With their fun but by no means flippant antics on the phenomenal single and video for “Ciervos,” where they played not only with our emotions but also our sex drive, these savage indie rock, psychedelic synth and percussion heavy sex friends take influence from Deerhunter, Ariel Pink, Yeasayer and High Places with no qualms. Their sound is as singular and unique as their pasty bodies and Spanish idioms. Their music starts on an adventurous tone and stays it’s course — riding rock and dance rhythms with carefree elegance. There’s the victory, and the dance floor their prize. I don’t think the world is quite ready for Astro and it’s almost “Come Sail Away” styx voyaging metronomes. I honestly haven’t been this excited about a band sense, Disco Ruido or Neon Walrus.
Instead of hiding their talents, and their successes such as the opening “Ciervos,” these rock lovely boys make good use of their explosive charm and lay their goods on the table, exposing buns and guns with no hesitation. The next, “Coco” follows the same electrifying jolt while the track waves into Kasabian electro-rock and Air meets Daft Punk song-baby synergy. “Druida de las Nubes” drifts as much as the title implies, and offers a languid interlude to the more howling “Panda.” This band is upside down. Somehow they have figured out how to rock the fuck out of their electronics and make their vocals sound like guitar melodies. This is the kind of music that makes life worth living.
“Mui-Mui” stays on the alien space ship lift, while “Manglares” abducts you and takes you to a pop-crying slide through the stars. The snare drum and wobbling synth bass on “Mira, esta nevando en las Piramides” makes me just want to quick my job as a journalist and dedicate my meager tastes and trend setting style to make music and/or porno. But why choose between vices and professions, when you seemingly can have it all. Astro is the kind of band that makes everything and anything possible with it’s optimistic and joyous jams. “Volteretas” reminds us that these guys are actually rockers and may even have influences in the jam-band arena, but non-the-less this music is perfect, with bop-bop-boping trouble beating promise. “Pepa” offers a more clanking, bell and chime scene to prepare you for the crunchy spice and slice on “Nueces de Bangladesh.” The acoustic meets electro retake on”Miu-Miu reaparece” is a poignant end to an outstanding album. Yes, this is the kind of track by track, blow by blow inspiring recap that only Astro could provide.
You have to relish this album and the exquisite production by frontman Andres Nusser. Seriously, this is the best album of 2011, with a relentless knack for sonic impression and imaginative lyrics laid over the best of a Bam Bam kind of extraterrestrial ride to heaven.
____________________________________________