Like most debuts, Atlas And The Astronaut wears its influences rather explicitly; strong hints of Queens Of The Stone Age, Rush, and a slight punk leaning characterize the extended EP from this Vancouver four-piece.

No question these guys can rock, especially bassist Casey Aspengren, whose runs up the fretboard anchor several of the songs and provide a nice counterpoint to the over-the-top keening wail of Beau Rosser. Sounding a bit like Geddy Lee getting a prostate exam, Rosser’s voice takes some getting used to in its highest register and it tends to squander the potential of songs like “Uncle Elephant.”

When Rosser tones it down, the band shines through. “Marrow, The Anchor” is the highlight here, recalling a ‘90s alt-rock sound (think Live) with lyrics that seem to celebrate crude, consuming love (“Stick your tongue in beehive’s honey / Stick your tongue deep into it,” Rosser croons, before adding the ever-romantic “Spread your legs if you wanna feel this”). To get that taste out of your mouth, try “Zakynthos,” which has prog-rock lyrics and a pretty good groove that probably sounds great live.

Rather than bash through several guitar-based tracks, the guys are not afraid to experiment with a spacey instrumental (“Stone Burner”) and feedback-drenched acid trips (“Fatigue For The Quail”), but most of the music stays in the same sort of punk-Rush-Wolfmother hybrid, and few of the melodies are truly memorable. “The Flight, Part 1” is the best example of this dichotomy, crossing a decent rock verse for an irritating staccato, off-kilter chorus with Rosser hollering at the top of his lungs for no reason.

Atlas And The Astronaut is not quite successful on its own but, like a good debut EP, there is promise for these guys that hail from the mean streets of Musictown. Check out their Facebook page or Web site to learn more.

Rating: C-

User Rating: Not Yet Rated

Comments