By: Aidan Morris
One thing I have always loved about music is how it represents a proverbial compromise, wherein the listener and musician agree to meet in the middle. The musician creates art moulded in their experience, while the listener filters it through their current state of mind and perspective. In the end, what the music “really means” is always a work in progress, something that every individual figures out for themselves, for both musician and listener. On Just Around the Corner, the latest album from The Astros, I can hear the band’s cogs turning; “what does this really mean”.
Two years following the release of their debut album, Sci-Fi Radio, I was strapping myself in for more fuzzed out riffage, tasteful instrumentation, and more jams to jump around to. Just Around the Corner, the sophomore album from The Astros is a departure from their debut, but this album feels like the next step. This is The Astro’s most intimate effort yet – notably, the band’s lyricism, while previously often melancholy, has never been as introspective or frequently stark as it is here. Meanwhile, the band’s talent for memorable melodies and an easy hook has somewhat receded (although not completely disappeared). Sonically, the album’s eleven tracks are all over the map, with riff heavy country-infused jams such as Sad Cowboy to wistful-eyed indie-bops like Winning Streak. The crowning jewel in this album tracklist is dead centre, if you listen to any songs off this album listen to Tommy’s Double Backflip into MVP – they transition seamlessly. I get the sense that they were meant to be one song, but for one reason or another, were split in two.
Indie rock always has a privileged place in my rotation. Somewhere between growing up wanting to be a member of The Strokes, playing in bands and making a tradition out of attending Ottawa Bluesfest, something just clicked. It’s a “part of me”, and presumably always will be. It’s also an art form for which deep analysis is challenging – the appeal is more intuitive than anything, and genuine feeling is the most important currency. This album is oozing with that currency, speaking to clearly lived heartbreak, coming of age, and battling despondency.
I asked the band about how the album came together. As the primary songwriter of the band Ben Granger, with a few contributions on select tracks from Andy O’Neil as well. The album was recorded across three different studios, between October 2023 and February 2024. They recorded at Noble Street Studios in Toronto, Kingston’s Evergreen Recording Co., and The Sugar Shack in London, ON.
They began writing the album in August 2022, before the release of Sci-Fi Radio, and they didn’t complete writing until the album was in its very final stages. The album went through an array of versions, as they cut quite a few songs before arriving at the final product. Most notably, the title track, Just Around the Corner, on the album was completely rewritten and changed drastically just two weeks before sending the album for mastering.
The album was written by vocalist and guitarist Ben Granger. Performances include all four members of the band, which in addition to Granger include Tim Merkley (Drums), Ben Hueglin (Bass), and Andy O’Neil (Guitar). Just Around the Corner is available to stream now on major streaming platforms and is available on vinyl from the band or at local music stores in Kingston. The album was produced and mixed by Ben Granger. It was engineered by Granger, alongside Simon Larochette (The Sugar Shack) and Jasper Terpstra (Noble Street Studio). The album was mastered by Greg Obis of Chicago Mastering Service.