After recording eight albums with Beach Patrol over the past two decades, Domenic Marcantonio has finally released a proper solo album. His foray into the solo realm has long seemed inevitable given Beach Patrol's slow and steady progression beyond its roots in straight-forward power pop. In particular, 2020's Making Waves and 2022's Festivus really highlighted Domenic's widening array of influences, growing comfort with lo-fi home recording, and fully developed artistic voice. He's too gifted to limit himself to writing only a certain kind of song. Although my Beach Patrol fandom dates back to 2006, those last two albums are the ones I go back to the most. So for me, the folk/roots/blues/acoustic direction of Earthbound Spaceman is not a departure that's tough to swallow. The album title is a little bit of a vibe clue. If Domenic Marcantonio really is an Earthbound spaceman, that suggests an alienation from the contemporary world that a lot of us have been feeling to varying degrees. Who wants to be normal in 2026?
So no, this is not a Beach Patrol album, and it doesn't try to be. This is just a talented artist writing the songs he was inspired to write, and none of this needs to conform to any clear-cut musical genre. Domenic's flair for melody and hooks remains very much in tact, and his distinctive style of guitar playing is no less appealing in this looser, more laidback sonic space. From the opening strains of "Two Signs," you immediately know who you're listening to. Even as it meanders along without the tight economy of a three-minute pop song, "Better Luck Next Time!" is certainly as catchy and memorable as any song Domenic has ever written. "Strange Transformation" is nothing short of a masterpiece — a song that's practically a guide to spiritual contentment in these ugly, divisive times. "Clear As a Bell," one of two tracks in which Domenic duets with his wife Mirra Laes, brings a warm '70s soft rock energy, and it's absolutely beautiful. "Dominic Kinnicinnick," a peppy, country-fied adaptation of The Singing Nun's 1963 hit "Dominique," is pure joy without pretension. "Tabula Rasa" would not have sounded out of place of any recent Beach Patrol album.
I'm certainly not the most objective reviewer since writing about Domenic Marcantonio at this point feels like writing about my brother. So I was thrilled to see a writer I immensely respect, Dennis from Add To Wantlist, beautifully articulate the appeal of this record. As Dennis points out, the album feels unassuming at first but has a way of gradually pulling you into a state of intoxication. Sometimes the phrase "rewards repeated listens" is reviewer-speak for "There are no hooks." But in this case, it means the hooks are more subtle and sophisticated. Given that it has been more than four years since Festivus came out, it's a great pleasure to again encounter new music from one of my favorite songwriters. Songs like "Battlestar Galactica," "Don't Panic," and "Thanks Coach" have profoundly impacted me in recent years, and now "Strange Transformation" and "Clear As a Bell" are sure to follow in their footsteps. There is no doubt in my mind that any fan of Beach Patrol will be delighted with Earthbound Spaceman.
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