Chicago’s own Ben Astrachan creates a sound on ‘Cleaner Than Clean’ that’s effortlessly lo-fi and charmingly twangy. With upbeat, folk-influenced songwriting, Astrachan’s project brings both melancholy and unprecedented silliness to the table. Particularly the song “Monkey Mind” contains an air of Sufjan Stevens-esque musicality–down to a soft choral backing track and soft, introspective lyrics. Another artist returning to straight-to-tape recording, Astrachan gives a glimpse into the future of authentic and artistic Midwest indie rock.