The words “astronaut husband” evoke distance—both physical and emotional. Somewhere out in the emptiness of space is Major Tom, asking Ground Control to tell his wife he loves her very much (she knows). Milwaukee “acoustic/texture-forward” indie-folk project Astronaut Husband, however, is anything but distant. Like previous Astronaut Husband records (an impressive 14 of them, to be exact), the new Into The Sun is exceedingly hushed and intimate. It’s all delivered by the bedroom project’s sole member, Alec Grefe, at a volume barely above an Elliott Smith-esque murmur.
Grefe describes the 15-track Into The Sun as “an emotional, inward exploration of the primordial sadness within us.” That exploration begins with songs steeped in heartbreak (“I had a love for a little while…Now I’m all alone under starry sky,” Grefe sings on “The End”) and concludes with one that practically shrugs in resigned contentment (“I’m only here on earth to see you smile / I guess it’s just my curse,” Grefe concedes on “See You Smile”).
In between are songs that simultaneously float in the heavens and lodge themselves in the smallest corners of your heart. Find your way Into The Sun now:
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