Astragal - EP II
Houston’s Astragal recently dropped EP II, a collection of four tracks gleaming with shoegaze/dream-pop textures.
Astragal
Made up of Sam Enkelman, Jimmy Bent, and David Sosa, the band’s formation was serendipitous. Sam, the drummer, got tired of just playing his drum kit, so he decided to look for other musicians to jam with. He went on Craiglist and searched the ads, most of which were listings for vocalists and guitar players. Finally, he came across an ad for a drummer into indie music. Emails were exchanged, and before long Sam was jamming with Adam. Adam introduced Sam to David, who joined the jam sessions. As Sam told Radio UTD, “It was awkward.”
Then Sam chanced on Jimmy at a show at Beach House, and again later at a DIIV show, where Jimmy and Sam talked a bit about jamming together. Pretty soon all four were jamming. Then Adam left, and Jimmy, David, and Sam eventually formed Astragal.
The band’s name – Astragal – was borrowed from the title – L'Astragale – of a semi-autobiographical novel by Albertine Sarrazin, a French author, who wrote her first two novels while in prison. Aastragale is French for the talus bone, which Sarrazin broke during an escape from Fresnes Prison.
Reminiscent of The Cure, but with more oomph, the tune’s surface colors twinkle, like a prism in the sun.
The EP starts off with “Wilt,” riding jangly guitars and a deliciously throbbing bass line. The tempo accelerates into a gleam of sparkling guitars atop a propelling beat. Reminiscent of The Cure, but with more oomph, the tune’s surface colors twinkle, like a prism in the sun. Grand vocal harmonies infuse the tune with sibilant textures.
“Bloomer” opens on a rippling drum fill flowing into a creamy, glistening shoegaze melody on a rumbling groove. I love the twangy, jangly spill of the guitar on this track, as well as the dreamy vocals. A breakdown of oozing colors and a stellar bass line gives the tune an almost psychedelic flavor.
“Scenery II” starts off on emerging synths, exuding shushes of energy, as if the ocean was attempting to gain access to the amplifiers, and then shifts seamlessly to the fourth track, “Moderne Luxury,” a luminous tune with glossy, radiant colors. This might be my favorite track because of its polished flow and coruscating colors.
EP II is excellent, traveling on smooth gushing colors and unwavering rhythmic momentum provided by a superb bassist.
