Before listening to Astral, I thought that shoegaze was one of those joke music genres that people made up for a laugh, like Christian metal or wizard rock. (One is terrible, one is great. I'll leave you to decide which is which.) But it all makes sense now: it's called shoegaze because they gaze at their shoes very intently while playing. You can even put this on while walking somewhere and stare at your shoes the whole time and feel like you're in a movie. Forever After is music to have an out-of-body experience to.

This is music that is perfect for claustrophobes; it has a lot of space. You can practically hear the sound bouncing off the distant walls. However, if a lack of proper enunciation bothers you, this may not be for you. The lyrics act as an additional layer of sound rather than something to sing along to. It's gentle and unintrusive while still being upbeat and interesting. This is a very fine line to walk, and Astral does it like a pro. The opening bass line to "Narcissus" is killer. I don't see enough bands utilizing the bass as a feature instrument, nevermind doing it so well. Actually, the opening track is by far the liveliest and most catchy of the whole album -- great choice for an album opener.

Well played, Astral. Not many bands I review make it into my personal music library, and you've achieved it.