Tall Stories and New Religions in Bloomington, MN

Coming off his excellent 2022 album
Time on Earth
, which found the singer/songwriter in an especially reflective mood,
Pete Astor
celebrated his 40th year as a recording artist by gathering the same group of musicians, selecting songs from throughout his career, and recording them in a stripped-down and intimate fashion.
Astor
's band (
Ian Button
on drums,
Neil Scott
on guitar,
Andy Lewis
on bass, and
Sean Read
on keys and production) prove once again to have an almost telepathic way of backing him, which brings out added shadings to his songs and allows his plain-spoken, honest, and true vocals to cut extra deep. All the facets of
's long career are touched on, from the early jangle pop of
the Loft
and the swaggering indie rock of
the Weather Prophets
to his tender solo recordings from the '90s and his electronic work made under the name
the Wisdom of Harry
. Each one is shorn of jangle, grandeur, or electronic textures and delivered with restraint, mostly built around acoustic guitar with
Scott
's electric guitar swooping in with gentle tremolo and the rest of the group giving off very loose first-take vibes. It's quite similar to
Yo La Tengo
's
Fakebook
, only without the covers. Most of
's best-known songs are studiously avoided in favor of some of his hidden gems, though there's a lovely, laid-back version of "She Comes from the Rain," which was one of
' best songs. The rest of the record may dig a little deeper, but the excavation is definitely worthwhile --
sounds suitably invested in presenting these nuggets in a different way. His vocal on a song like "Emblem," where he imbues it with wisdom and emotion that exceed that of the original is proof that this album isn't just a musician marking time, he's seeking -- and finding -- new dimensions to old songs with the result being an album that's absolutely a treat for longtime fans of
's work and a great starting point for anyone who wants to get a basic idea of what he's all about. ~ Tim Sendra