On their current single ‘Ease Up’, The Astronauts deliver an unashamed love letter to the early 90s. From the moment the main melody hits, the layers of sound tap into a heavy indie/shoegaze sound that’s unmistakeably retro. The tune is also massively appealing, but it’s likely to require three or four listens before this becomes really obvious.

The track’s more enduring qualities do not present themselves immediately. The opening chords seem a little too abrasive, and although arrival of the bass and drums allows everything to take shape, it’ll still take a few more seconds before things seem to settle. Eventually, against a steady, mid tempo, a wall of guitars shares a swirling, shoegaze drenched sound – blending elements of early Ride with the most melodic aspects of a pre-‘Loveless’ My Bloody Valentine – in such a way that it starts to feel that this slightly obtuse melody that’s taken shape might just be rather special.

With a solid sound finally in place, the vocal arrives under a swathe of filters, and the lax approach that’s taken here really suits the music. With the help of an accent that seems to have an English twang despite the musicians’ American roots, the rather simple lyrics are given a real sense of character, as if the song’s protagonist is keen to share the ultimate in nonchalant moods.

Factor in an unfussy lyrical hook that seems perfect for the wavering music, and this actually becomes the kind of track that shoegaze lovers shouldn’t miss. It definitely takes a few plays to really sink in, however, but once it does, the slow, hazy groove has a huge appeal for the retro indie fan, even if the song itself is very much a slowburner.

Check out the new video below.