Astronautalis music seems to ebb and flow, high tide and low tide represented by soft, lo-fi indie rock and intelligently crafted melodic hip-hop. Along the trajectory described by both the push and pull, Astronautalis manages to work in a dizzying array of influences, from trance inducing ambient soundscapes to lazy, countrified guitar picking, to sultry R&B duets, resulting in one of the most eclectic sounds of any contemporary recording artist. This pulsing continuum is described not only across releases, but even across individual tracks, which frequently feature soft guitars strumming underneath a body rolling beat, glazed in ethereal synth wash, all supporting a flow that somehow feels as slow as molasses, seeming to ooze from Andy Bothwells mouth, regardless of how sprightly the words might be. The most remarkable thing about this mish-mash is how organic it all sounds. If your ears werent already attenuated to the differences between genres, there wouldnt be any tell-tale incongruity to discover. Its like Astronautalis has discovered exactly how the puzzle fits together to create a seamless picture, even though all of the pieces come from different boxes. With Awol One, Ceschi, Filkoe.
Fri., July 24, 9 p.m., 2009
