Astrel K is the current project of Rhys Edwards from Ulrika Spacek, who is currently based in Stockholm where the album was recorded, with a band made up of local musicians, although the press release claims it feels like it was made in the Nether Region, that really conjures up some weird images in my head. The bands full name is Astrel Kompaniet.
The album opens with the first single Is It It Or Is It I? is a gentle floaty piece of dream pop that feels organic, it's nicely layered with strings, guitars and unobtrusive drumming, as it lays back and let you drink it all in, as this is a piece of rather sophisticated dream indie that is over 6 minutes long on the album rather than just under 4 minutes on the single as the lyrics about isolation and what it does to you unfurls.
You Could If You Can is reminiscent of the High Llamas, especially that bands metronomic live sound, as it gently puts it's point across with hushed barely whispered vocals and the acoustic guitars with synths weaving around them.
Imperial Phase takes some very early 70's TV soundtrack music adds some brass and creates an enticing soundscape where you might want to live under this kind of imperialism.
9V is a short musical interlude and paean to a lesser used battery. It leads nicely into Clicktivism a slightly pained song about the habit of many of us in thinking we are helping things by clicking like or adding out names to online petitions as the backing vocals insist the internet caress them over the more genteel than it might be synth pop.
Clean Coal is a song about the anachronism of claiming you are producing Clean Coal, musically it has gentle stops and starts and a bassline that wanders in and out of the mix and no one is carrying large sacks on their backs.
Forwardmomentum has a very gentle synth wash and sparse and carefully placed drums as if you are starting to roll a ball down an almost imperceptible slope, so that it keeps moving but barely gains momentum as the strings finally come in.
Flickering i asks the question will I be happy, well I hope you will be happy listening to this album that's laid back and feels effortless in creating a nice relaxed atmosphere.
Morbid Clinging is a short instrumental piece that's the perfect length to have a good morbid hug too. The album closes with Maybe It All Comes At Once a rather lyrically involved parting shot that keeps with the albums gentle music with questioning lyrics this and the rest of the album will grow on you with repeated listening.
Find out more at https://duophonic.ochre.store/release/293267-astrel-k-flickering-i???https://www.facebook.com/astrelkompaniet https://astrelk.bandcamp.com/album/flickering-i
