Irish post-rock explorers God Is An Astronaut are back with their eleventh studio album, Embers. The trio, led by brothers Torsten and Niels Kinsella, has spent over two decades refining their sound, and Embers is all the evidence you need to hear to believe it. Known for their boundless soundscapes and atmospheric songs, Embers showcases the band at the peak of their powers. The new album comes hot on the heels of their 2022 live album The Beginning Of The End, which celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut album The End Of The Beginning. The live album was a reminder to fans of where the band originally launched their mission from, and to where they’ve soared and explored since the beginning.

The title track, a progressive, up-tempo odyssey, sets the tone for the album. Haunting synths, shredding guitar passages, and atmospheric elements create a tension between light and dark that is quintessential God Is An Astronaut. This is music that dares listeners to lose themselves in its vast, intricate layers. The album’s first single, “Falling Leaves,” is its own trip too. Starting with a peaceful, almost meditative intro, it gradually builds into a powerful crescendo, eventually bursting with energy like an alien from the chest of an unaware crew member on an interplanetary transport. It’s this combination of quiet introspection and explosive intensity that’s made God Is An Astronaut one of a kind in post-rock music. Tracks like “Odyssey” are exactly what the name implies, with the exhilarating blend of psych-rock and krautrock, underscored by drummer Lloyd Hanney’s driving rhythms. The album’s instrumentation is as crazy as ever, featuring everything from sitar and cello to Shamanic drums and the bowed psaltery, making Embers a truly immersive experience.

God Is An Astronaut have always been a band that takes many forms and encourages fans to interpret their music in their own way, and Embers is no different. It’s an album that doesn’t just ask to be heard, it demands to be felt. With every note, every rise and fall, the band manifests something both strange and hauntingly beautiful. It’s a sign of their refusal to simply stay on the ground when they can reach for the stars to take an unforgettable journey through the light and the dark, the known and the unknown, all through their music.