Musings: Mos Eisley Spaceport - Further

It’s been a minute since the space rock/desert rock trio from Bremen, Germany released an album. Imagine my surprise this past Thursday when out of the blue, I got an email from Bandcamp to notify me that Mos Eisley Spaceport had not only released some new songs but a full LP consisting of 9 songs, roughly 58 minutes worth of tunes! I love this band. Their debut EP, The Best of Their Early Year, was the second review I ever did on the blog, back in September of 2020. They were kind enough to join me for the blog’s very first conversation and even contribute a new song to the Doom Comes Knocking compilation I curated back in 2022. Needless to say, I was stoked to see that not only had they just put out new music, but a whole album at that!

Let me start by spoiling it for you by telling you that the long wait has been entirely worth it. Man, this new LP, the appropriately-titled Further, is a horse of a different colour! Further sees the band adding a more proggy feel to their already unique desert/space rock and heavy psych sound as they welcome new member Björn Groos on keys/organ. The band had bid farewell to one of their founding members, vocalist/guitarist Daniel, sometime in the spring of 2022 and had become a duo (Sebastian Reimann on vocals/bass VI/guitar/synthesizer along with Guido Hanslik on drums/percussion/vocals). Now they’re back to being a trio and they’ve really refined their sound, delivering a more polished record than on their first outing. This next chapter in the band’s evolution is an exciting one.

“Ashes to Ashes” is a superb proggy opener, epic in scope. The organ is a welcome addition and complements the band perfectly, often adding shades of Deep Purple in the process. Next up is “Drop Out”, which was a very catchy tune on Early Year but this new version is more fine-tuned and once again one of the highlights of the record. Turn on, tune in, drop out, join in and sing along! “Space Shift” is the other song that’s been revised from the debut EP, but this time, we get a much-expanded interpretation of it, almost doubling its length, improving on an already terrific tune. This may very well be my favourite track on Further. The hits keep on coming; “Raised by a Lioness”, the awesome song from their sole 2022 release—the double single pairing of “Raised by a Lioness” / “Laika”—also gets fresh coat of paint. This newer version is more accomplished and sounds quite hypnotic at times, with Björn’s organ adding cool layers to the proceedings. “Cocaine Blues” is a groovy, organ-driven track that’s sure to stick in your head (in a good way) for a long time after the record’s done spinning. The afore-mentioned “Laika” from the double single and the band’s contribution to my Doom Comes Knocking comp gets the redux treatment as well. It’s a longer, more energetic version than the original. Both this and “Lioness” are alternate versions of the originals and while they do sound more polished on Further, I have a fondness for the originals and will always treasure them. “Scattle Cat” has a killer head-bobbing riff with a punk-rock edge. It’s a fabulous tune with a healthy dose of heavy psych. We get a sequel to “Laika” in the form of “Laika II” and we don’t even have to wait for the next album! It’s a short number that feels like listening to echoes in the cosmos with its spacey and foreboding vibe. The LP ends with track 9, “I’m a Robot Dancer”, a song reminiscent of “My Bicycle Won’t Fly”, the closer on Early Year. The acoustic guitar and bassline are a beauty on this song! It’s got a nice prog rock feel to it that sounds kind of like Supertramp.

Further brings us the further adventures of this Star Wars-loving trio and it’s one hell of a fun ride. I’ve already gone through multiple listens and I can safely say that this LP belongs on my Top Ten Albums of the Year list. It’s like visiting old friends you haven’t heard from in a long while. Mos Eisley Spaceport have honed their craft and proven that they have staying power with this album. In terms of space/desert rock, heavy psych, classic rock, and stoner rock, Further is a stellar record that’s just as unique in 2023 as their debut was back in 2020. In a landscape of bands that struggle to differentiate themselves from the pack, Mos Eisley Spaceport rises above the masses and are some of the most refreshing purveyors of music out there. Let’s just hope we won’t have to wait another three years for their next LP!

Mos Eisley Spaceport on Bandcamp: https://moseisleyspaceport.bandcamp.com/album/further