Track listing: Everything Ft. stig, Sober, On Them Lines, Gone Off The Rock, Demons, Addicts Mind, Lost My Mind Ft. stig (Remix), Demons Just Feed, Death From A Million Paper Cuts, Skin, The Afterworld, Ghost, Amen, Purgatory, Ponds Of Sound, You and Me and Melody, My Heart Is A Fading Star, Breathe, More Than Glory, About A Dollar, Apologize, Premier, Garden Of Eden (Needs Verse 2), Today’s Decay Version 2 Ft. P.S., Just A Lie - Arranged By Luck (Arcade Fire Sample)
Black Astronaut Records is an Atlanta-to-Chicago based project comprised of Charles Luck (ATL) writing and producing with Tino Red (CHI) rapping and singing. Their latest effort is the 25-song behemoth record 39 Charles Street. I've walked by that stoop a number of times over the years, usually late at night hoping the next subway stop's train to Brooklyn isn't delayed. Random fact about that address: it's just a few blocks away from where they filmed the exterior apartment shots on Friends.
But I digress. 39 Charles Street takes you on an entertaining ride. Even a track like "Sober" embodies the wit of Del the Funky Homosapien with the humor of Macklemore. "Death From a Million Paper Cuts" is B.A.R.s own mantra a la Hamilton's "In The Room Where It Happens"--tense, impressive, lyrics compounding on one another building in both drama and intensity.
"Addicts Mind" jumped out to me upon hearing the sample/interpolation of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." Luck explains, "I used to sample heavily and always loved 'Jealous Guy,' so I rewrote the song, pitched it, split it into thirds, and added the 2 verses." The song provides a bit of a sonic interlude at Track 6 of 25, providing a breath of piano-led fresh air before the album kicks back into gear.
"Breathe" provides another moment of solitude later on at slot 18, with "Apologize" bringing a big of a 90s Alt vibe to the album. "Just A Lie - Arranged By Luck (Arcade Fire Sample)" closes it out--bonus points if you can identify which AF song is sampled!
B.A.R.'s duo has outdone themselves with 39 Charles Street. The lyrical pace of "Today's Decay" impresses, the variety across the loops, samples, instrumentation and arrangements all keeps you on your toes as a listener. Search "black astronaut records" on Soundcloud, Instagram, Spotify--find them on your platform of choice and dive into their sound. There's a lot to discover beyond the unassuming doors of 39 Charles.