2017 has already seen Alex The Astronaut release her debut EP, feature on Triple J’s Like A Version, play a coveted set at BigSound as well as tour the country with Montaigne. But now the sydney singer-songwriter is preparing the release of her second EP as well as a massive national headlining tour which kicks off later this month. Her unique blend of indie-pop can be best described as somewhere in-between the quirkiness and raw essence of Courtney Barnett and the beautiful melodies and storytelling of Paul Kelly. And her new EP “See You Soon” perfectly captures that. It continues the honest lyrical approach that “To Whom It May Concern” introduced and sees her delivering one of the most important songs to be out in Australia right now. “Not Worth Hiding” is a coming out anthem that focuses on not being ashamed about how you feel. The emotional song is empowering, beautiful and raw and along with it’s simple guitar strumming and melodies it will instantly become a favourite. “Reflector” starts off with an 80’s inspired synthesiser that quickly fades into the background and hears her guitar strumming take lead. The reflective track incorporates sound bites and echoey vocals to provide that nostalgia that makes this song an important listen. She confesses; “And I thought I’d know more by now”. by adding in an upbeat drum loop she explores her folk roots on the cute Sydney exploration track “What Sydney Looks Like In June”. The chorus reminds me of early Kate Nash material with the catchy “do do’s”. She then takes you to “New York” where she suffers form heart break and is missing someone. “The angels say they can’t quite place just where we parted. As the world starts to hurt my heart I’m hoping you will meet me in New York”. While the production is quite simple there is just something about the storytelling and simplistic synths that make this song sound so cinematic. Closing with “William And Georgia” she offers the most upbeat folk production on this release with a pop-injected hook that could easily fit perfectly at a summer music festival or on Triple J’s heavy rotation list. Again, her storytelling has you mesmerised by her very honest and pure delivery. This EP is a stronger collection of songs compared to her debut and shows an impressive growth which will only continue her rise in the music industry.
You can catch Alex The Astronaut on tour this October in honour of the release of her second EP “See You Soon” which is out now
Thursday 19 October – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
Saturday 21 October – The Treehouse, Byron Bay
Thursday 26 October – The Lansdowne, Sydney
Friday 27 October – Uni Bar, Wollongong
Saturday 28 October – Howler, Melbourne
Friday 3 November – Jack Rabbit Slim’s, Perth
For ticket information please head to http://alextheastronaut.com