Astral Yacht - Astral Yacht

Nebraska duo Astral Yacht take a deep dive into the sounds of vintage psychedelia on their self-titled debut, a wonderfully homespun collection of space rock, krautrock and hazy, melodic psych released through Funk Night Records. 

Recorded in Lincoln by Derek Fisher and Jacob Pavlik, who handle all the instrumentation themselves, the album draws heavily from the adventurous spirit of early 1970s German experimental rock, with echoes of Harmonia, early Kraftwerk and the more cosmic corners of the psychedelic underground. Shimmering 12-string guitars, swirling analog-style synthesizers, warm basslines, steady drums and dreamy vocal harmonies come together in arrangements that feel loose and exploratory without losing their melodic appeal. Opener “Follow the Constellation” sets the mood with its spacious, otherworldly atmosphere, while “Concentrated Skies” and “Chapel” move between hypnotic grooves and softer, more reflective passages. The eight-minute closing track “Misty Hollow” gives the duo room to stretch out, bringing the album to a suitably expansive finish. There's an unmistakable DIY charm to the whole thing, with its warm, slightly rough-around-the-edges production adding to the feeling that you've stumbled across a forgotten private-press psych record from the early '70s.

Limited to just 500 copies on black vinyl, Astral Yacht is a lovely discovery for anyone drawn to the more melodic and exploratory side of psychedelic rock.