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Written by Drew East, posted by blog
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Astronomique’s new studio release
Sharp Divide is the band’s first album length collection and they’ve amassed a
powerful bevy of songs for this important benchmark in their career. None of
the songs are remotely self indulgent, a semi frequent knock on acts working in
the synth pop style, and songwriters Sean Hogan, the band’s guitarist, and lead
vocalist Logan Andra Fongemie craft distinctly darker musical narratives than a
lot of their peers and their subject matter has a decidedly different slant as
well – you’ll find precious little in the way of “it’s Friday night and let’s
have a good time” or “boy meets girl” songwriting on Sharp Divide. There’s a
strongly personal and intimate feel to Sharp Divide, but there’s plenty of imagination
powering this album as well.
“Forefathers” introduces us to one
of the album’s strongest suits, the engine room of bass player Preston Saari
and drummer Mitch Billings. They have a kinetic rapport with Hogan’s guitar and
Fongemie’s vocals even on a recording, so it’s intriguing to wonder what they
could accomplish live with these songs. “We Disappear” has a relentless thump
from bass and drums working in lockstep with one another and staccato rhythms
from guitarist Sean Hogan that expand with the song’s chorus and bridge. The
chiming effect he achieves is effective for lightening the song’s melancholy
mood without making it unfamiliar contrasted with the other songs. Despite any
differences in approach, there’s a common stylistic and sonic thread uniting
these songs.
The pulsing synthesizer intro to “Losing
Our Control” sets the stage for one of Sharp Divide’s most forceful tracks and
the gurgling bass from Preston Saari is particularly effective, but knows when
to shift into a different gear and seamlessly does so. Sean Hogan’s guitar is clear
and punchy here without ever dominating the performance. “Sharp Divide”, the
album’s title song, has a more spartan musical thrust than the previous track,
but Astronomique’s individual brand of synth pop continues to flex its muscles
here, although in a decidedly darker, more thoughtful fashion than the album’s
more straight-forward numbers. “Smoke” has a stronger synthesizer base than
most of the album’s other songs, but it’s nonetheless quite successful and
features one of Fongemie’s best vocals on Sharp Divide.
“Bleed Me” is another of the darker
tracks from Astronomique’s latest that will gain listener’s attention. It’s one
of the Fongemie’s most impassioned, haunted performances on Sharp Divide and
the intensely human quality of her voice plays off nicely against her
synthesizer playing. Billings and Saari, once again, lay down a steady groove
for the song. “Heading Nowhere”, the album’s finale, doesn’t have nearly as
defined of a groove, but Saari and Billings are standouts once again and
everything else keys off their performance. Astronomique’s Sharp Divide is
their strongest release yet and clears the road ahead of them for even greater
triumphs to come.
