# Album Review: Pennan Brae’s Classic “The Astronot”

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2020/12/album-review-pennan-braes-classic-the-astronot/
- Published: 2020-12-08T03:11:20-05:00
- Author: Max Hammer

With the backing of an all-star cast of rock musicians and producers, singer, songwriter,
and screenwriter Pennan Brae’s 2020 album, _2 Below 0_, is a rock lover’s record
produced by genuine rock and roll veterans.

The album essentially is the musical soundtrack for Brae’s indie film of the same
name. It’s part of a series of albums written, recorded, and released by Brae in
recent years.

He released his first feature film soundtrack, _The Astronot_, in 2019. We thought
that would be a great starting point for indie music fans that may want to check
out his trilogy.

On _The Astronot_, there are plenty of solid tracks, some of which were repurposed
for his second album in the trio, Gravity.

The top tracks that carry through the series are, in our opinion, “Strut 1980s,”“
Crashland,” “Walk With Me” and “Synergy,” the latter of which is featured also on
this year’s _2 Below Zero_.

“Crashland” is a chugging, brooding rock number that is ripe to kick-back with on
a hot summer day. His music is clearly influenced by rock styles of the 1970s and
80s.

The song was recorded at Blue Light Studio in Vancouver with additional sessions
in L.A. It was produced by Kirk Kelsey and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Sean
Magee at Abbey Road Studios.

Over the years, Pennan has filmed music videos in Bangkok, Osaka, Oregon, Hawaii&
Vancouver. His 8th album, ‘2 Below 0’ dropped this year. He is currently writing
his next film and album both of which are set for release this fall.

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“Walk With Me” came about, he says “while playing a foot drum with an acoustic guitar.
The two instruments locked in to create a driving beat and rhythmic hook. It turned
out to be a simple song structurally and hence the lyrics reflect this also,” he
says.

“I wanted to harken back to the early days of 1950s rock and roll in an efficient
and straight-ahead structure. It was an honor to have legendary drummer Steve Ferrone
and INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers provide a tight and rocking rhythm section throughout
the track. The rock & roll nature of the song needed that.”

“Crashland,” he adds, served as the main single from the soundtrack and musical 
theme of _The Astronot_. “The lyrics convey a space theme which reflects the nature
of the film. 1970s rock and roll is a major influence and I sought to keep the guitars
honest and upfront.”

“Once again, Steve Ferrone & Garry Gary Beers provided the rocking rhythm section.
I also love the background vocals which singer Tianna Ireland provided.”

While it is nearly impossible to list all of the contributing musicians and which
songs they performed on one by one, the musicians include drummer Steve Ferrone (
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Eric Clapton); bassist Garry Gary Beers (INXS); vocalist
Tianna Ireland; Grammy Nominated musician Eric Alexandrakis.

That said, Brae wrote and composed all of the music on the album.

[https://pennanbrae.com](https://pennanbrae.com)