Over a decade ago, Philadelphia-based The Asteroid # 4 came onto the music scene, playing the kind of drug-hazed psychedelia that was a dime-a-dozen back in the 1960s. After gaining some recognition after appearing on a Spaceman 3 tribute album, they quickly released their debut, Introducing… . However, the six-piece went more or less under the radar for many years, releasing five albums without managing to pinpoint a distinct sound. Instead they floated aimlessly between music scenes, never really finding a niche.
It wasn’t until 2005—eight years after its inception—that The Asteroid #4 finally began to find its voice and receive some acclaim with the release of An Amazing Dream . On it, the band began experimenting with different styles; instead of relying on a recycled, one-dimensional psych-rock sound, the band began integrating more elements of folk and pop into their music. On their newest release, These Flowers Of Ours: A Treasure Of Witchcraft And Devilry , The Asteroid #4 look to continue that trend, making a well-groomed and well-behaved pop-rock album, for the most part.
Throughout These Flowers Of Ours , the band infuses elements of Britrock, folk, and even punk with their already well-established psychedelia, creating a uniquely catchy record. Among some of the poppiest songs on the album (“Let It Go” and “I Look Around” could have been penned by Matthew Sweet) are layers of dirtily distorted guitars, droning/reverb-ed vocals, and melting harmonies. Songs bleed into one another with ease—their lazily echoing guitar riffs and soaring melodies often evoking The Verve or The StoneRoses. Much of the album is sure to win listeners over if they’re looking for hazy hooks and smoky folk-rock, which the band pulls off successfully. The Asteroid #4 no longer just harbors the psych-rock thatthey did on their debut.By integrating an array of different musical elements, the band has finally found its own sound rather than just regurgitating music from the ‘60s and early ‘70s. Only by incorporating so many different styles was the band finally able to find itself. And because of this, it seems that their best work is only yet to come.
– Michael Danaher