junior astronomers breathe new life into post-punk on their debut lp ‘dead nostalgia’ #soundcheck

It’s a shame how much post-punk and post-hardcore sounds totally interchangeable when there are bands like Junior Astronomers showing how much life there is left in the post-sound. The Charlotte, NC quartet follows in the mold of classic mid-Atlantic post-punk bands like Jawbox and Kerosene 454. But Junior Astronomer adds some indie flavoring and keeps their focus on tight songwriting on their latest LP Dead Nostalgia.

By Nathan Leigh, AFROPUNK Contributor
Banner photo by Mitchell Kearney

Frontman Terrance Richard (who shares songwriting duties with guitarist Philip Wheeler, thus making a South Park reference totally irresistible, but we’re better than that. Sort of.) has the kind of voice that can elevate the simplest couplet to a matter of life and death. Whether on bombastic opener “Before Crimes” or the haunting ballad “Retrofit” the band summons a fire and sincerity that’s all too rare. The rhythm section of Colin Watts and Elias Pittman deftly twist and turn providing a simultaneous grounding and unease to Wheeler’s angular riffs.

Songs like “Touching War” and the epic slow-burn “GIV’ER” showcase a band with both the musical chops to turn on a dime but also the writing chops to make it count. And though I haven’t seen them live personally, word is they’re the kind of band you don’t want to pass up the opportunity to see. Dead Nostalgia is out now on Broken Circle Records on digital, CD, and vinyl. Stream it and download it below.