Aspera

That the opening track "Taking to Waking" starts out after a slow drum opening with a ghost-of-Kevin Shields guitar wash gives a fair indication of what's up. That said, an interesting surprise surfaces shortly thereafter when Werth starts singing -- rather than buried, reverbed airiness, his vocals are upfront, strong, and distinct, a good sign that Aspera Ad Astra wants to cut its own path. The quieter breaks with backing vocals return things more to a gentler flow, but it still makes for a good start for Peace. The album moves at a pretty steady pace throughout, its eight numbers being generally longer, if not ten-minute drone monsters or anything of the sort. The one exception is another nice surprise, being a solo piano piece barely two minutes long, "This Whim Breathes." Werth's lyrics may deal with some common enough psych/zone tropes -- talking about "sickness" on "Sick N' Sad," for instance -- but his singing, even when it recedes into moodier, drawn-out modes, is still a definite plus. The Worth/Tripp guitar combination kicks up a good storm throughout. If not the most distinct guitarists in the world, they're both quite good at what they do, showing their hand at maintaining a slow-motion volcanic flow of arty feedback while also knowing when to play softly and carefully when the mood demands it. A good combination of both is "Fat in the Eye," with gentle picking and buried squall cropping up among the piano, strings, and the playful combination of percussion at the song's end. Other distinct touches surface as well -- the electric slide reverb on "Step Into Me," the lovely, drowsy blend of sonics on "The Yellowed Sin." Drummer Robinson is a steady-as-she-goes performer, hitting the head-nodding paces just fine. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide