Bear the Astronot "Cricket Songs"

Bear the Astronot's first solo album "Cricket Songs" is getting set for release. The album is a fresh new take on Hip-Hop, Rock, and Electronic sounds. An eclectic mix of straight forward Hip Hop Head Nodders, Hybrid Thrashing Head Bangers, and Subtle Spoken Mind Openers. "Cricket Songs" tackles large world issues like War, Economics, Democracy, Equality, and Political Injustice in an almost "Chuck D" fashion. Mixed throughout the everyday themes of love, aging, and relationships are brought cleverly into a new light through The Astronot's educated and rhythmic word play. The entire album was written, produced, performed, recorded, and mixed by Bear the Astronot himself. This makes it one of the few Hip Hop projects I have ever heard that feels almost like a "Singer-Song Writer" album. The Astronot's music is emotional and revealing, almost to a fault.
Upbeat and hypnotically danceable tracks such as "Things" "Get Back", and "Phoenix Arizona Hot" will keep your neck snapping and torso swaying, while "Hope You Brought Your Floaties", "Earth Goggles", and "God's Gifts" pound your senses and test your view of the world around you. Bear's flow is well controlled and rhythmic, and his singing voice is a perfect complement. Need a sweet song to sing your girlfriend "Good Man To Ya" fits the bill, and is reminicent of a sweet and well worded Common track. Just left a bad relationship "Breaking Up Is Fun to Do" is a perfect soundtrack for throwing an X's clothes off the balcony. "Broken Bottles" is a very strong and revealing track about the trials and tribulations of Alcoholism, and rides a very well produced Epic Orchestral Tear Jerking Beat. The title influencing track "The Cricket" is a dark ride through the mind of Bear the Astronot himself, and one of the most original hip hop tracks I have heard...well ever. Mix in Punk Rock Hybrids like "Revolution Starts Now" the Beck vs. Nirvana twist of "So Cliche" end it with a coming of age masterpiece "Action Hero" and you've got one of the most interesting albums I've heard in years.....and a solid musical album as well!
The production is fresh and eclectic, the rhymes are educated and original, and the song writing is amazing even if compared to non Hip Hop projects. Not something "Lil Jon" or "G-Unit" fans will be running out to buy, but maybe something that Mos Def, Bloc Party, NoFx, Andre 3000, and Public Enemy fans will have in common. Hip Hop has left the inner cities, escaped the suburbs, and shot through the cosmos into outer space....Bear the Astronot is bouncing it back. I'd recommend you get a copy once this album is released.

by:Michael Patrick