“Astrachan is the solo project and surname of curly-haired indie rock beefcake Ben Astrachan, a self-taught analog tapehead who conjures up his special blend of starry-eyed lofi folk rock in the candlelit haze of Puccini’s Studio (Astrachan’s basement bedroom/workspace named after his cat) on Chicago’s northwest side. Apostle to old masters like Cat Stevens and George Harrison, Astrachan is nonetheless an avatar of indie’s modern sound, drawing inspiration from contemporaries like Hovvdy and MJ Lenderman to thread together short-and-sweet psych-inflected tunes at once accessible and strange.

Astrachan is also the co-founder of Berta Bigtoe (with Austin Koenigstein) and Astro Heart (with Ryan Gebhardt), and a tireless accomplice to fellow travelers Smushie, No Lonesome (etc), brightening stages across Chicago with his golden voice, polytechnic abilities, and good-natured boyish charm. His new single, Picture of Doubt, is a tune about lost love and miscommunication over the phone. The lyrics are muddled and mystified as if the speaker is drunk on uncertainty. Recorded to a Tascam 388, the saturation from the 1⁄4 inch tape pushes the groove to a punchy and timeless space.”

-Jackson Zinn-Rowthorn