Bad Astronaut -Houston: We Have A Drinking Problem

Melodic, soft, smoothing, all words that describe that silky smooth music style of  Bad Astronaut. In their newest release, Houston: We Have A Drinking Problem, they have 14 new slow songs for you to listen to.

Opening up with These Days, you get a strong feel for the band right away. Starting with a cymbal smash, the vocals commence almost immediately. Joey Cape has a very powerful voice that mixes in perfectly with the music. This song demonstrates many talents, switching tones from smooth to hard, while keeping the flow of the song intact. At around 2 minutes in, they slow it all down to a little mix of guitar and drums, nice, soft, steady, 15 seconds later the bass joins in picking it all up, getting faster and faster, louder and louder, and the final verse starts off. Ending off the song is a soft violin-like sound. A really good song and a excellent choice to open with.

Single (track 3)  is a lot harder then the previous songs, but while being able to keep the mellow feel. The tune and vocals are a lot quicker and really catchy. Using a mix of guitar riffs and drum beats, the tune is spectacular. Half way through the song it slows down for a slightly slower verse, then the guitars pick up making an incredible 30 second tune, after 3 more lines of vocals, they end the song with a fast drum roll.

Track 10 to 13 are some of the best songs on the album with Off The Wagon, Another Dead Romance and Killers And Liars. The first of the three opens up with a drum roll, then soon introducing the bass and a couple seconds later, the vocals. It is most likely my favorite song on the album, closely followed by the other two aforementioned songs. This too is a slightly harder one, with keeping the melodic feel. Ending the song is a 20 second slower piece of music, getting ready for Another Dead Romance.

Unlike other songs of this CD, the vocals commence right away. The song has catchy vocals, about losing a girl and trying to fill it up, but all it is a dead romance. Most of it is slow, except for the last verse where they pick it up and go harder with the guitars, slowing it down once again for the last couple lines of lyrics. After, Bad Astronaut have a one minute smooth, steady beat that has a mix of guitars and bass. Quite and effective song.

Killers And Liars is my second favorite, it opens with a guitar beat and the slow vocals start off, comparing murderers and liars, and saying how its “only one more step towards your prize“. The lyrics in the song are amazing, and discuss a matter that is not usually discussed. A little more then a minute in, there are two or three hard beats on the drums and the tune gets harder with the vocals getting louder, but still staying steady. At the two minute mark, it all stops and then picks up with hard, quick pace guitar, and jumpy vocals and rhythm, and they end the song on the beat. It is quite frankly an amazing song, and my second favorite song.

The second last song, Our Greatest Year, is another good song on the album. With additional help by John Popper on the harmonica, it is a nice and slow and steady song. The vocals are soft and at one point they are even just whispered, after they are done whispering, the song gets harder and louder. It is yet another good song by the band. The final song, The Passenger is a absolutely perfect choice to end the album with. It is nice, slow and steady, and is a incredible song that represents the Bad Astronaut.

Overall, I think that the album is a good one. One of the biggest downsides off it is that a lot of the songs sound very similar to one another. Other then that, I like it. The lyrics are different then most lyrics you see, not all about girls. It is a perfect soft-core emo album.