Astrel - The Foreign Department (Black Vinyl)

Astrel - The Foreign Department (Black Vinyl)The Foreign Department is the second album by Astrel K, the solo project of Stockholm based British ex pat, Rhys Edwards. Those already familiar with Edwards work will likely know him for fronting the cultishly great Ulrika Spacek, and given he operates as the principal songwriter in both projects, much of the same hallmarks of his cathartic, elliptical songwriting are present in Astrel K. Nonetheless, The Foreign Department feels like a rubicon

poignant riddles that celebrate the ambiguity of love

who has previously crafted it herself or with longtime friend/visual artist Izzy Kross

he made his way to both Colorado and New Hampshire before ending up in Montreal where he found university

Across twelve tracks

some of which could lay claim to being of a type never been made before

when their unique chemistry sparks opens a portal

As the band explains

impactful stops and starts

and Jamaican dub into mellifluous harmony

it's a veritable summation of everything you love about them - from rhythmically challenging jazz funk prog to droning repetitive exhumations of the socio-political conscience (rock 'n' roll)

Farrar immediately made them feel right at home

As the Marfa Myths record series progresses