Astral Bakers - “Beautiful Everything”

Photo by Matthieu Torres

French indie outfit Astral Bakers bring their signature ’soft grunge’ sound to our blog via the new single, “Beautiful Everything.”

This melodic masterpiece begins with some distant, lo-fi sounds from a guitar before the full-band production bursts to life. The sound is equal parts Sebadoh and Big Thief, with a dash of Sonic Youth for some classic flavor– we are even detecting a pinch of Fugazi’s less aggressive craftsmanship. The guitar work here will make you yearn for the early ‘90s, while also leaving you completely satiated with its modern zing.

The rhythm is quite gentle and chill, which makes for the perfect soundtrack to any roadtrip– Astral Bakers fully realize this as well, which is likely why the video for “Beautiful Everything” was shot in their van. Vocally, we hear the delicate layers of a voice that is warmly reminiscent of both Lou Barlow and Elliott Smith. The lyrics enter our ears in a soft, authentic tone that perfectly suits the exquisite vibe of the music.

One of the highlights here is that Astral Bakers manage to completely blow us away without drowning us in the conventional overuse of distortion. They, instead, rely upon warmth, melody, and attention to detail, generating a song that will ultimately sooth your spirit as it leads you down the peaceful path to introspection.

“Beautiful Everything” comes from Astral Bakers’ debut LP, The Whole Story, due for release on February 9th via Sage Music.

-HD