Hello Astronaut

Who?

18-year-old Jordan Palmer is Hello, Astronaut, an upbeat optimist project reminiscent of This Love or even Never Shout Never and Weatherstar.


How Is It?

Hello, Astronaut’s second EP, The Only One, breeds from infectious pop melodies and catchy sentimental acoustic tunes. Evident throughout the opening “The Best She’ll Ever Get,” this EP is a quick contagious ride. After this initial taste of Palmer, “Say Goodbye” continues with a Never Shout Never feel before launching into another addictive tune, “The Only One.” The title track continues in vain of “Goodbye” while “When She Leaves” adds a nice acoustic stripped-down touch to the EP. Exemplifying Hello, Astronaut’s softer side, this penultimate track stands out most amongst these songs, as Palmer’s vocals simply shine. Closer “So Unpredictable” begins with a catchy guitar melody picking the pace up. This final track ends The Only One appropriately – it’s another heartfelt tune proving Palmer’s abilities to tell a love story.

While The Only One may be marked as unoriginal, Palmer is definitely able to bring a piece of his soul into each track, making each song slightly more diverse than the preceding track. His lyrics need work, but the kid’s vocals unquestionably work well amid his sound. Just fresh out of high school, the future is undoubtedly gleaming with possibilities for Hello, Astronaut.

Recommended If You Like
This Love; Never Shout Never; Weatherstar

Additional Information

Track Listing:
1. The Best She’ll Ever Get
2. Say Goodbye
3. The Only One
4. When She Leaves
5. Unpredictable

myspace.com/helloastronaut - Absolutepunk by Ryan Gardner

Proving once again you need neither an actual band nor a record label these days, Hello Astronaut is the nom de plume of 18-year-old multi-instrumentalist Jordan Palmer, and The Only One, his second release, is a confident, richly melodic and heartfelt affair. Palmer has progressed dramatically since 2009’s Paper! Snow! A Ghost! EP, which was a distinctly bedroom lo-fi affair full of acoustic guitar, piano, bleeping analog synths and Auto-Tuned vocals. This time around, his songs get the full-band treatment, and it’s an altogether more rocking affair with big, clean production really pushing everything to the fore. In making this leap he has inevitably lost some of the intimate charm that suffused the previous release, but he has compensated for this in stronger songwriting and lush arrangements.

The Only One’s sound embraces the dynamic hooks of Dashboard Confessional and the nostalgic undertones of Cute Is What We Aim For, or even Sweden’s the Last Days Of April. At times, it becomes a little too saccharine for its own good—as on the chorus of the Jack Johnson-esque “Say Goodbye”—but it doesn’t detract from the fact that this the kind of album sure to burst thousands of teenage hearts. Über-catchy opener “The Best She’ll Ever Get” is the kind of song that demands to be played in a big open space, and closer “So Unpredictable” is radio-rock nirvana, giving a damn good tug on the heartstrings. If anything is holding Palmer back it’s that he doesn’t really stick out from the crowd in any notable way, and every track invites comparison with other artists. But this isn’t to say he doesn’t have potential, and The Only One could very well be a stepping stone to far greater things. - Alternative Press Magazine by Dan Slessor

The brainchild of 18-year-old Jordan Palmer, Hello, Astronaut is a silky smooth helping of joyful pop, rock, and electronic beats. The gifted musician delivers a youthful perspective draped over sophisticated melodies and mature song structure. It is evident that Palmer possesses a passion for creating music and an intent to remain in the business for a long time; and after hearing his new release The Only One EP, which dropped on September 7th, I think you'll agree. I chatted with the charismatic Palmer and he filled me in on being young, writing music, and love for his family.

How has your young age impacted your musical career so far?

I think my young age affects my career in many ways. I think it mostly affects my songwriting though. I tend to write about things that happen in my life, and because I'm so young, I write about very simple things.

How did your parents react to your desire to pursue music?

My parents have always supported me in everything I do. They have been so extremely supportive of my music. They're always helping me out and asking if I need them for anything. It's a great feeling to have parents on your side.

Obviously Hello, Astronaut is very musically different from the hardcore and screamo bands of your past, but what did you bring with you from your previous bands that helped shaped your new project?

I think I learned dedication from the past bands I've been in. I used to drum in a few hardcore bands and the drums were always super tedious and I was always concerned with playing them perfectly. I think I carried this concept over to Hello, Astronaut but in more of a songwriting form. I'll always work on a song until I think it's the absolute best it can be.

Describe the song-writing process to me.

My song writing processes are crazy. Sometimes I'll start with music, sometimes the lyrics, it all really depends. I always start with one idea (whether it be lyrical or musical) and then I continue to build on the idea until it's a full song.

What's the strangest thing that's ever inspired a song?

I wish I had a cool answer for this but unfortunately all my songs have been inspired by pretty simple/day to day things. I am usually inspired by events in my life though.

What's one thing you can't do without while you're on the road?

I haven't been on the road to much yet so I'm not completely sure. For now I'll have to go with the Droid X I just got, I'm so addicted to the internet! Haha.

If you could have anyone in the world be your #1 fan, who would it be and why?

He probably is my number one fan already but I'd have to say my dad. I look up to him so much in so many aspects of life, and it's so rewarding to know he cares about what I'm doing. - Denver Music Examiner by Laura McDonald

The initial attention grabber to this band was definitely the name, and luckily, the music lived up to the moniker.
Hello, Astronaut is Jordan Palmer, an 18-year-old singer and self-taught instrumentalist. While most soloists choose to go by their name, Palmer defies the norm as the sole man behind the music.
His first EP "Paper! Snow! A Ghost!" was released in 2009 and the second, "The Only One," was released earlier this month.
Hello, Astronaut is pop without the artificial beats and more acoustic background music. Energetic and clean sounding, the music is clear and understandable while remaining catchy and upbeat.
Nothing like the one-man-boy-band of right now (i.e. Justin Bieber), Hello, Astronaut gives off the vibe of a mix between Jesse McCartney, Teddy Geiger and Dashboard Confessional. Hello, Astronaut is a nice break from the overplayed pop songs on the radio today.
Off his new EP, "The Only One", the song "The Best She'll Ever Get" is catchy, yet follows the relationship cliché many bands can't seem to get past. Despite that, it's a breath of fresh air to see a song where familiar ideas turn into different music.
On his PureVolume.com page, a cover of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" seems a bit out of place, but showcases his voice and talent along with editing techniques to make it uniquely his.
If you enjoy the boy-band sound and pop music, you will be a fan of Hello, Astronaut as an alternative to the usual playlist.
Hello, Astronaut is currently on tour, but unfortunately staying around Palmer's home state of California. Find his music on iTunes, PureVolume.com and Myspace.com. - Quad News