Astronaut Head – Meek Moon
A musician’s evolution is rarely a straight line. For Buffalo’s Jessica Stoddard, the path to the ambient dream pop of her Astronaut Head solo project has been a long and patient one, winding from quirky piano pop at Buffalo open mics to full UK tours as a keyboardist for a Scottish indie rock band. Along the way, a different sound was brewing – one built from looped vocals, electronic textures, and cavernous reverb. The result is Meek Moon, a five-song EP where those years of private experimentation finally take the lead.
The EP’s sound is deeply indebted to a certain Scandinavian chill, favoring atmosphere and texture over immediate hooks. Opener “batshit” makes the Björk comparison impossible to ignore, not just in Stoddard’s vocal leaps but in the contrast between its crisp electronics and a restless, jungle-like percussion. Shifting on a dime, the percussion vanishes completely on “egg the snake.” Instead of rhythm, the tracks floats in this hazy, subterranean space built from layers of Stoddard’s vocals and electronica compositions that recall the more ethereal moments of another Euro-influence: The xx.
While the production is forward-thinking, the EP’s foundation is built on Stoddard’s history as a pianist and vocalist. The DNA of Emily Haines’ (Metric) solo work is present in how Stoddard uses the piano as an anchor on a good portion of the EP, while the influence of slowcore pioneers Low is unmistakable in the hypnotic, layered vocal harmonies that drift through the record. On “lose,” these elements come together perfectly as those harmonies soar over piano and a commanding, tom-driven drumbeat, giving the song a post-rock gravity that anchors some of its dreamier impulses.
Nowhere is Stoddard’s journey as a producer more apparent than on “secure | comfortable.” Originally released as a single in 2021, the track is beautifully remastered for Meek Moon. The song itself is a study in delicate restraint–a simple piano ballad subtly enhanced by a sizzling, low-tempo electronic beat that enters halfway through. The new master brings a fresh clarity and depth to the recording, highlighting the nuances of the production and serving as a real-time document of Stoddard successfully tinkering with her sound. Production aside, this track features some of the strongest vocal melodies on the EP.
Meek Moon is a deliberately paced and carefully constructed introduction for Astronaut Head. Over five distinct tracks, Stoddard builds these unique, abstract spaces, and refuses to sand down their strangest edges. In doing so, she leaves intact the very elements of these tracks that separate them from what would otherwise be pretty tidy dream pop. It’s a record that manages to be both beautiful and genuinely weird, a deep-listen that deserves more than just a few spins.
Categorised in: Album of the Week
This post was written by Ronald Walczyk