Creative Maryland punk band Two Inch Astronaut's fourth album, "Can You Please Not Help," is their most mature yet. Out now via Exploding In Sound Records.

There are many words you could use to describe Two Inch Astronaut, but complacency isn't one of them. Just over a year after the release of their last album, the Colesville, MD-based punk trio has already got their next one in the bag. Time has proven them to be a band that works quickly and diligently. In celebration of their newest record, Can You Please Not Help, the band is playing their album release show at the Black Cat in DC on June 18th. Can You Please Not Help finds the band pushing themselves away from a defined comfort zone. Two Inch retain their penchant for soft-loud dynamics a-la-Nirvana, but theirs is a language more complex and intricate. They have a tendency to write music which doesn't settle on either side of minor or major, but instead crouches uncomfortably on the border between them. It's unsettling in an appealing way. Frontman Sam Rosenberg pushes forward with cynical, energetic pessimism. He's gotten good at singing in an almost-emotionless falsetto. Drummer Matt Gatwood is as ferocious as ever. Together with the dual-assault vocals and bass from Andy Chervenak, they are as powerful a power trio as one can find in 2017. The three of them play together and live together, lending credence to the idea that nothing can replace experience. [caption id="attachment_2497" align="aligncenter" width="578"] Two Inch Astronaut - Courtesy of Walter Wlodarczyk.[/caption] They also continue to deviate from being pigeonholed as a simple punk band. "Play To No One" has a country streak a mile wide. The song comes complete with suspended guitar chords right out of Tom Petty's playbook. It's a delicious, fascinating thing to watch a band take such bold steps, and it pays off in spades. Album closer "I'll Leave You Alone" is one of the most raw, understated pieces of work the band has released. It's terrific, and I'll leave it at that. The album is up for streaming on their bandcamp, with physical distribution by the stellar independent label Exploding In Sound Records. The label has a knack for working with hardworking and talented bands who keep low profiles. Their recent Brooklyn showcase, "EIS Records & Friends," took over Brooklyn's Sunnyvale, where Two Inch Astronaut played a prime spot for hundreds of eager attendees. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxLsvhFg9cU[/embed] Two Inch Astronaut has been heralded by publications like NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Consequence of Sound. Yet, they've managed to keep a humble, no-frills approach. After years of performing and recording, they're still incredibly polite. This is fact which seldom goes unremarked-upon by promoters, venues, and fans alike. Another of Two Inch Astronaut's many strengths is their ability to play alongside pretty much any type of music. They can go from soft and accessible to ferocious and knotty in a matter of moments. That said, the bands they've welcomed to play their album release show are terrific choices. Maneka is the new project of Devin McNight, formerly of powerhouse indie/punk bands Speedy Ortiz and Grass Is Green. DC's own Bad Moves are opening the show. The band is something of a supergroup, composed of members of celebrated groups like The Max Levine Ensemble and Hemlines. Two Inch Astronaut plays the Black Cat at 1811 14th St. NW on Sunday, June 18. Maneka and Bad Moves support. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the cover is $10. Find more info here. What albums are you looking forward to in 2017? Tell us in the comments!