Vertical Life

Description

With *The Whole Story*, their debut album released in 2024, Astral Bakers laid the foundations of a subdued soft-grunge, blending hazy folk and weightless rock. *Vertical Life* marks a pivotal moment: that of a band that, having found its footing, now asserts itself as a cohesive collective, where each member contributes equally to shaping its sonic identity. Recorded in the United States with Sam Evian (Big Thief, Blonde Redhead...), the album captures the quartet's freedom and raw energy. Here, there's no excessive re-recording or overproduction; the moment takes precedence, mistakes become texture, and slight imperfections, a signature. *Vertical Life* is a choral album, a constant dialogue between the four musicians – Ambroise, Theodora, Nico, and Zoé – where each now finds a more assertive place in this shifting puzzle, where voices intertwine and roles interchange. The textured guitars, at times silky, at times abrasive, crisscross and layer like wisps of delicate fuzz. Theodora's bass anchors the tracks in a cinematic languor, while Zoé's drumming, all fluidity and restrained beats, builds a nocturnal, almost vaporous groove. The voices, simultaneously fragile and assertive, are always balanced between a murmur and a soaring cry, between indie introspection and grunge energy. It’s a record where verticality isn't just an upward movement, but a dizziness, a tension between rootedness and escape.