Jul 09 2009 10:45 am,
Deastro
‘Moondagger’
(Ghostly International)
22-year-old Detroit native Randolph Chabot, aka Deastro, piles layer upon layer of sonic textures throughout this debut album. There so much happening here it’s hard to keep up; there’s Friendly Fires-meets-MGMT psychedelica in ‘Toxic Crusaders’, Dan Deacon-esque art school geekiness by way of Lemon Jelly in ‘Pyramid Builders’ and fantastical Patrick Wolf-inspired trippiness in ‘Greens, Grays and Nordics’. Where mess and confusion should dominate, instead there’s a strange cohesion of light, shade, fantasy and reality, where organic vocals and instruments gel perfectly with the computer generated soundscapes. There’s no doubt that Deastro is of the here and now, but ‘Moondagger’ sees him offer a gateway glimpse to sheer filmic escapism, too.
Jessica Hazel
