CD: MLP01
RELEASED: 2004
LABEL: Melting

01. Barreling
02. Blinder
03. In Heaven
04. Under Lock And Key
05. Turn Me Around
06. Slumber
07. Orchids
08. Last Light
09. Raining Down
10. Forbidden Kiss

At first, Orchids seems like the work of a band with a Cure obsession. Astral frontman Dave Han's voice sounds more than a little like Robert Smith's, and he applies it to moody, atmospheric music, creating songs that wouldn't have sounded out of place a decade or two ago. Opener "Barreling" is exactly the sort of urgent new-wave music that Smith and company created at their best, while "In Heaven" is imbued with the Cure's distinctively wistful romanticism. As the album progresses, though, little things seep in and other influences make themselves apparent. There are definitely traces of Joy Division, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. As these undercurrents bubble along below Orchids's surface, it's hard to pinpoint the exact moment when the other influences blossom into full view. It's not until well into the disc that the breadth of Astral's ambition becomes obvious. Obviously, for music with such retro-leaning reference points, "refreshing" isn't quite the right descriptor. At the same time, it's quite appropriate. Rather than blatantly pillaging another band's style, as so many of today's trendiest groups have done, Astral assemble their sound from carefully chosen classic components. This is a promising debut album blending shoegazer psych-rock and gloomy '80s post-punk from this San Francisco trio. Fans of Slowdive and Joy Division will both find something to like here.

Influences / Similar Artists:
Joy Division, The Cure, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, The Essence