I should point out they had me at the title. I love burlesque. And balloons. So I set the bar rather high from the moment I pressed play. And, to be fair, I was not wholly disappointed. To begin with an overall note, the post-production on this album is rough, and the audio mix from track to track, and even within some songs itself, are a bit shaky. However, considering the DIY nature of our subculture, and the fresh and rapid rise these folks have burst into the scene with, I can easily forgive this and focus on the composition and quality of the songs itself, as I am sure getting this first album cut was a huge labor of love. 

 

That said, the engineering was really the only main issues I had as a general note, well that and really there was no real song that said burlesque… or balloons for that matter to me. But titles are a just a pet peeve of mine, and a minor one. The music itself is fresh, fun, and full of a vitality that I clearly hear from each musician in the band. While each musician clearly have talent, I was most impressed with the vocals of frontman Brandt Cooley. His vocals ranged from rage to somber to whimsy, and gives their songs that special sound that make them stand apart. 

 

The tracks range well across the many aspects of indie and alternative rock, with a healthy smattering of gypsy and punk instrumentations for sheer fun. I was stuck that some of the track’s musical influence did well to advance the lyrical story, such as “Robot” - the most metallic rock track on the album, and rightfully so, it’s a song about an automaton. Some songs though blended through a number of genres making it hard to really feel what they were conveying.

 

“The Moral Tango,” for example, is a track I had to listen to a couple of times to try and really peel apart, and truth be told I just gave up and enjoyed it. Most all of the tracks blend a masterful guitar, drums, and base with the southern fiddle joy only a true band out of the music city of Nashville can mix. The occasional keyboard or miscellaneous odd instrument shines through on a couple tracks adding a fun flavor to the band’s sound, most notably “The Fool” and “Blind & Bored”. Though without a doubt, “Queen of Spades” and “My Marvelous Toys” have got to be my two favorites. And I am hard pressed to pick between the two, though I will admit that I am sure to be adding Toys to my go-to list of songs sure to get the steampunk dance floor going. 

 

All in all, the maiden flight of the Aereonauts was akin to any maiden voyage: bumpy, a little unsettling at parts, but overall one fun ride that I eagerly await the next installment. I am confident that this group will continue to refine their sound and simply take the southeast by storm.  Just check them out on their YouTube channel for some of their live performances and you'll see what I mean.  

 

Doctor Q is the Media Editor for Steampunk Chronicle. He fancies himself an acoustic arranger of music and founder of the Artifice Club. 

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