Two Inch Astronaut – Play To No One (Stream)

A week ago The Mountain Goats, Marcus Norberg and the Dissapointments, Single Mothers, ShitKid, Mountain Movers, Chemtrails, Matthew Sweet, Mankind, Nathan Oliver, The Golden Dregs, and Celebration all offered up fascinating new tracks. Two Inch Astronaut joined their ranks with the explosive “Play To No One”, one of the best individual efforts of what’s becoming an extremely formidable discography. Skewing closer to powerpop than virtually anything the band’s released so far, “Play To No One” reveals just how deep Two Inch Astronaut’s pop sensibilities run and provide a fascinating context for their older material.

All of the elements of post-punk, post-hardcore, and all of their other niche facets are still present but instead of being the focus they’ve been relegated to supporting roles, transforming “Play To No One” into something verging on cathartic. It’s both a release and a bold new direction from a restless act that’s not afraid of subverting expectations. One of their most unlikely, triumphant, and meticulously crafted songs, “Play To No One” winds up among the most impressive works of 2017’s first half. Let it play and hit repeat.

Listen to “Play To No One” below and pre-order Can You Please Not Help from Exploding In Sound here.