Astra : Where You Rest

WRITTEN when she was 19 and recorded live over two days, Where You Rest, the debut album by Brighton singer-songwriter Astra, is available on Isolation Recordings (isolation 09) from March 23.Astra, who has been beguiling Brighton audiences for the past couple of years, catalogues what she describes as 'wanderings of love, longing and loss' in a mesmeric voice, by turns vulnerable and dreamy, powerful and direct.With an acoustic sound that has been compared to Beth Gibbons, Joni Mitchell and the autumnal Englishness of Nick Drake, Astra brings unflinching honesty to her songs. She catalogues stories of everyday hopes: 'I don't know if it will last/ But I know we've got a chance'; and disappointments: 'Silly me for trying to pretend/ That you and I would be more than just good friends'; of outsiders: 'Are we all just trying to find a place in this world/ Trying to find a face in this life'; and siren-like pleas: 'Run, come, save me'.A review of Astra at Brighton Fringe festival 2008 noted: 'Astra kept the audience entranced with her music which somehow manages to touch on the painful yet beautiful aspect of being alive. Her lyrics leave themselves vulnerably open in a way that is rare to find.' (Broadwaybaby.com) These poignant portraits are complemented beautifully by spare, precise arrangements. Abi Fry (British Sea Power, Bat For Lashes) plays viola on all but one of the eight tracks: sometimes playfully underscoring the vocals; sometimes soaring, sometimes brooding, occasionally breaking down into dissonance. On piano, Dave Hickson adds delicate sketchy motifs and hammered tattoos, perfectly fitting the mood of the songs, while acoustic guitar from Astra underpins the overall sound.In addition to her solo work, Astra also performs in four-piece alt-folk outfit The Robot Heart, in which she sings as one of a three-part harmony, while playing keyboard and glokenspiel (often all at the same time).Where You Rest is packaged as a limited-edition digipak with a twelve-page booklet of Astra's lyrics/artwork.http://www.myspace.com/astramusic

Full title is: Where You Rest