Vast Asteroid - Vast Asteroid

Vast Asteroid is a 46 minute, eight song, ode to 80s pop via shoegaze and psychedelia. Comprising of The Warlocks former bassist Mimi Star, drummer Mark Reback from Slaughter and the Dogs, singer/guitarist James Poulos, Vast Asteroid sounds less like the punk of Slaughter and the Dogs, and most like the psychedelic rock of The Warlocks.

The first track ‘Mincemeat’ goes nowhere and serves as a sleepy introduction to the second song ‘Sleep’ which sweeps us away with soaring melodies in a subdued vocal delivery. As does third song ‘Drown’ which brings back massively unwanted memories of the 80s ‘Dunedin Sound’. Although, because this is more ROCK focused it comes at me via Bailter Space rather than The Chills or Straitjacket Fits.

‘Vivid Dream’ is like a shoegaze psychedelic version of Interpol, while ‘Sick’ incorporates backwards reverb into the verses and simple melodic hooks that take us through to the end.

You’ve heard all this before – pretty much the entire album is nothing new, but then, a lot of this comes from music genres I don’t listen to (like 80s pop), but when it’s filtered through rock guitars, drums, and bass, I can’t help but get hooked on those catchy vocal phrases and washed out distortion. ‘Poison Fang’ takes this to a heavier plain before ‘Spacegaze’ does a 17 minute amalgamation of space rock and shoegaze. Obviously.

While billed as a supergroup (“of sorts”) the band wears its influences on its sleeves, never straying far from 80s pop hooks, and fuzz guitar excess. An enjoyable album.