Staying Up Late With Black Astronaut Records' "The Walrus, The Ninja, and The Gypsy From Sydney"

At first glance, this record looks like it came out of a fever dream or an intense, all-time high feeling with a niche, never-seen-before title similar to a children’s book. But, you’d be surprised to know that “The Walrus, The Ninja, and The Gypsy From Sydney” are made up of songs that set the mood and make you empathize; they have generally interesting and relatable concepts behind them as well.

Deriving from the mind of Charles Luck, the artist behind Black Astronaut Records, he emphasizes ‘spiritual awakening’ as one of the main themes of this album. It takes you on an ambien-driven journey—which is a type of imidazopyridine, or medicine for insomnia—that makes you realize that the visual randomness present in this record ends up making sense, or coherent to the topic at hand.

“Staring At The Ceiling” starts us off—a great one, might I add—and it contains elements of dance and electronic rock with a bit of hip-hop. This song is mainly spearheaded by well-crafted verses and raps, setting up expectations for the rest of the tracklist. Essentially, it talks about contemplation and what the mind does when you’re staring at the ceiling, or in other words, when you’re alone, prompting overthinking and fear. Needless to say, it’s a relatable track.

While we can all agree that the mere act of staring at the ceiling and the possible thoughts running through our minds are incomparable to any other feeling in any other circumstance, the next song wakes us up, immediately setting the mood of upbeat goodness. “The Ambien Rap” is reminiscent of Eminem’s The Real Slim Shady, but the only difference is, well, everything else. The charm in the vocals are like no other, as well as the wit between each line. It’s your average go-to rap song to jam along to, with each segment telling a story that not only gives listeners a first impression of Black Astronaut Records as an artist, but a deeper understanding of the album’s concept too.

Speaking of depth, this record seems like it has a lot of sides or faces to it as well. “The Ninja”, for instance, has a different vibe than most of the tracks, really proving Black Astronaut Records’ flexibility in creating banger songs. The same can be said about “The Corn Cob”, a song that just pulls you right in. The pacing is absolutely catchy, not too dull nor overwhelming, with the vibe resembling a likeable person walking down the street with people rooting for him.

With what seems like the music equivalent of sixteen (or more) espresso shots, “Pez Dispenser” starts in an instant, spurting out a lot of words in only a few seconds. You might even miss them or get totally lost if you don’t pay attention for one second. It’s an unusual yet interesting and unique concept that would catch anyone off guard, but still stay for what it has to offer.

“Gypsy Funk” has a bit of an electro-pop vibe going on with marimba-esque details in the background. It’s the type of song that also serves as this album’s one of many faces. There’s good balance and chemistry in the different tones and pitches of the vocals as if they’re conversing, not to mention the title itself is eye-catching right off the bat—it’d make someone click on it in an instant.

All in all, “The Walrus, The Ninja, and The Gypsy From Sydney” is a concept that’s carefully crafted from personal means to something that’s universally impactful. It’s definitely a record worth looking into, with its diverse dynamics, word play, and topics discussed. You’d be missing out if you don’t give this one a listen right now.