Lawrence.com

One of the most anticipated local releases on the year will hit the U.S. streets nationwide Oct. 3 via Canada's Sonic Unyon Records (confused yet?). Ad Astra Per Aspera's "Catapult Calypso" is an endeavor two years in the making, though the album reflects the sound of an experimentally tinged rock band that has made major strides in their first five years of existence. Anyone who has heard the band recognizes the sound immediately: a frantic demonstration of noise and melody clashing joyously and wholeheartedly. Points of reference abound (Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead), but Ad Astra's best attribute is its ability to sound more and more like itself.