Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Foulbrood, Colesville, Maryland’s Two Inch Astronaut returns with two new tracks, “Check Please” and “Humorist.” After a five-year hiatus and members now pursuing individual projects, these songs offer a fresh glimpse of the band’s signature sound. Check Please / Humorist showcases the band’s knack for unpredictable, mathy post-punk with sharp rhythms, angular guitar, and catchy hooks, evoking early Dischord-era bands like Q and Not U and Jawbox, but with a distinctly Two Inch Astronaut twist.
Written in 2018 before the band’s break, the songs reflect on the solipsism of the creative process, but also capture the joy and camaraderie that comes from making music together. Sam Goblin, who now releases music as Mister Goblin, shared that recording these tracks was a reminder of the friendships formed throughout their time as a band.
Produced by Jawbox’s J. Robbins, who also helmed their previous albums Can You Please Not Help and Personal Life, both tracks bring a sense of nostalgia while pushing the band’s sound forward. “Humorist,” in particular, builds into a thrilling finale full of shredding guitar work, making it clear that, even after all this time, Two Inch Astronaut’s chemistry remains undeniable. “Check Please” and “Humorist” are a perfect blend of the band’s past and present—an exciting, unexpected return for a band that never quite played by the rules.
Check Please / Humorist is out now.
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Mol White | @molemanmedia
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