- Musicianship
- Lyrics
- Originality
- Vibe
- Vocals
It’s pretty clear the members of Astral would rather it still be the late 80s.
Their album, Forever After, is strongly in the dark pop realm that The Cure and the Smiths were perfecting more than 20 years ago. There are even hints of shoegaze from that era’s acts such as My Bloody Valentine.
On tracks like “Dahlia’s Feeling,” the band is unabashedly trying to recapture the glory of Joy Division or the Smiths. Everything is there, the low, baritone vocals, the hint of synth in the background, the lean on bass and dark sounds.
Yet, there’s something empty about these songs. They just seem to lack a certain kind of emotion. Some of these songs are really moving, but some just feel stale and forgettable, like if Interpol decided to just phone in an album.
Actually, the band sounds its best when it incorporates some dream pop and shoegaze to the mix, like on “All is Said and Done” and “Eye to Eye.” These songs actually capture the energy and emotion Astral intend. These songs are a happy medium between the two sounds on this album.
Astral show promise. They have an ear for melody and can write intricate tunes already. They just need to keep an ear for not sounding like Interpol wannabes.
