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The Astronaut (Wax Fang) 3.5/5

SINGAPORE - There is still room for the concept album - at least, psych-duo Wax Fang obviously believes so. In the spirit of David Bowie’s Space Oddity and the phenomenal success of Gravity, Wax Fang brings us The Astronaut - a tragic tale within the fringes of a seamless odyssey, over three movements, through a psychedelic intergalactic landscape. Yes, seriously. It’s more 2001: A Space Odyssey than gravity though: The concept revolves around the fate of a lone space traveller, separated from his vessel, swallowed by a black hole and transformed into a celestial super being. It’s all well and good, as long as you have the chops to pull it off. But by and large, Wax Fang get it done without - surprisingly enough - too much reliance on electronics, choosing instead to convey the mood and tone via guitar, bass and drums. Which in itself, is fairly unique, as one usually associates the term “space-rock” with Pink Floyd and one hardly notices any reference points in that direction when listening to The Astronaut. Again, one of those rare (but treasured) moments in modern rock where enjoying an album in its entirety is something to look forward to rather than feared. And it’s a great way to start the new year - The Astronaut will be released on Jan 28.

SINGAPORE - There is still room for the concept album - at least, psych-duo Wax Fang obviously believes so. In the spirit of David Bowie’s Space Oddity and the phenomenal success of Gravity, Wax Fang brings us The Astronaut - a tragic tale within the fringes of a seamless odyssey, over three movements, through a psychedelic intergalactic landscape. Yes, seriously. It’s more 2001: A Space Odyssey than gravity though: The concept revolves around the fate of a lone space traveller, separated from his vessel, swallowed by a black hole and transformed into a celestial super being. It’s all well and good, as long as you have the chops to pull it off. But by and large, Wax Fang get it done without - surprisingly enough - too much reliance on electronics, choosing instead to convey the mood and tone via guitar, bass and drums. Which in itself, is fairly unique, as one usually associates the term “space-rock” with Pink Floyd and one hardly notices any reference points in that direction when listening to The Astronaut. Again, one of those rare (but treasured) moments in modern rock where enjoying an album in its entirety is something to look forward to rather than feared. And it’s a great way to start the new year - The Astronaut will be released on Jan 28.

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