Written by Sandeep Sehbi

Astrogypsy just played Kafe Kerouac last night at the London2Calais benefit [A refugee outreach convoy based in London, UK feeding refugees in Calais, France through donations]. They’re a three-piece based here in Columbus Ohio. I’ve seen them play numerous times in basements and clubs around the state. They just released an EP called ‘Come Alive’. From Lucas, singer, “we recorded it at the Sonic Lounge in Grove City. Engineered by Joe Viers, and Nick White. Mastered by Brian Lucey at Magic Garden mastering (he did the Black Keys lasts four albums).” And it worked out, really REALLY well, for them. If you haven’t yet checked them out, I recommend checking them out immediately. Their sound is peerless, professional, and on point. The first song on their freshly released EP ‘Come Alive’ is the self-titled ‘Come Alive’. The recording sounds vibrant and well balanced. The recording includes piano, their live set is currently guitar, bass and drums. [Edit: Brian Lucey has some amazing credits, some of the featured albums he’s worked on via his website include: Marilyn Manson, The Black Keys, The Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Lydia Loveless, The Delta Spirit, Beck, Sigur Ros, The Shins, O.A.R.]

The band all lives together in a space about 30 minutes outside of town, near the Columbus Zoo. Its there that the members of Astro Gypsy hope to start a recording studio soon, open to the public when it does start operations. I’ve been told there’s a lot of interest in the space, they’ve already got projects lined up to record.

‘Sister Song’ is the third song on the EP. It’s got an older-school rock and roll vibe, like something from the soundtrack of the films Almost Famous (2001), or Still Crazy (1999). There’s definitely a 90’s sound here, you can hear strains of Brit-Pop in here, owing to some of the vocal harmonies as well as the overall tone. It’s well executed rock and roll, which isnt something you see often (with the current popularity of garage, surf, and more).

Astro Gypsy has their live dynamics down. Luke, lead singer, has a clear and driven vocal delivery on top of being a solid guitar player. Cam is a very grooving and solid bass player, often seen weaving about the stage getting into the music. Brian is an incredible drummer with eye-opening fills, awesome chops, and incredible touch with his hits. Some of Astro Gypsy’s best moments are in the breakdowns, in the jam outs and the grooviest moments that test their skill the most.

On the whole the EP is very cleanly recorded. The drums stand out as particularly well done. The arrangements as a whole are tight, the vocals are clean and strongly sung. I’d say this is a pretty great first release for the band. I look forward to more from this new rocking Columbus Ohio trio. It’s surprisingly well done. The tones are remarkably clean, there’s no harshness, and for the performance part of things, everything is on the ball and true to the live show. I hope we can listen to a full length from these guys soon, if this is an indicator, it’ll be another great record. Keep up the great work dudes.

Relevant Links:
https://www.facebook.com/AstroGypsy-241674269275610/
https://astrogypsy.bandcamp.com/album/come-alive