When we last left Johnny Astro, he had released one of the most oddly infectious albums I’d heard all year. Though you could connect the dots from Zeus – Chapter 1 Astrology back to the industry’s heaviest hitters, his latest tape proved that this Texan’s ear for production is on point and that his pen is mainlined into his soul. Any too-obvious nods to his influences could be easily forgiven when considering his charisma and drive, proving that if anything, Astro’s greatest gift is the manipulation of nostalgia for the present- he somehow manages to craft music that integrates the best lessons of the current landscape while keeping his voice intact, if not a little buried. I signed off on my review of Chapter 1 by lamenting the thickness of the layers under which Astro obstructed that very voice, so I was very excited to see a new track from him in my inbox.
Surviving the Golden Age is proud to premiere “I Try/High ft. Slim”, a new high water mark for Astro’s promising career. Coming in at just over 7 minutes, the song features two distinct movements centered around the same sample. The citations that weighed down the highs of Chapter 1 have almost fully filtered out, leaving the listener no option but to agree with Astro’s sentiment at the top of the track – “I think this, like, is the best I’ve ever done.” Not only is the unique skill-set of the 25 year old impossible to deny, but Astro is definitely coming into his full bloom as an artist.
