Hum – You’d Prefer An Astronaut is one of the defining records of 1990s alternative rock, and this Polyvinyl reissue brings it back in a form that does the original proper justice.
Who Hum Are and Why This Album Holds Up
Hum formed in Champaign, Illinois and built a sound that sat at the intersection of shoegaze density and hard rock physicality. They were never the biggest band of their era, but among guitarists, producers, and serious listeners they earned a reputation that has only grown in the decades since. You’d Prefer An Astronaut, originally released in 1995 on RCA Records, was the album that put them in front of a wider audience. It contains the kind of guitar work and sonic architecture that rewards repeated listening, which is exactly why demand for this record never really went away.
Hum – You’d Prefer An Astronaut: This Reissue and What Makes It Worth Your Attention
Polyvinyl licensed this reissue from Sony Music, which means the source material is legitimate and properly sanctioned. The mastering was handled by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound in Nashville, a room with a serious track record for getting things right. The original sessions were recorded and mixed by Keith Cleversley at The Playground in Chicago, and that recording has always been a big part of what makes the album work sonically. Getting a clean, properly mastered version of that source material matters. The catalog number is EARCD 7.
Why Collectors and Listeners Both Want This Copy
The original 1995 RCA pressing of this album is not easy to find in decent condition, and when copies do surface they tend to move at prices that reflect how much people want them. Polyvinyl has a strong reputation in the collector community for doing reissues carefully and with attention to detail, which is not something every label can claim. If you have been waiting for a reliable way back into this record, or if you came to Hum later and missed the original run entirely, this is a straightforward and well-produced path in. The Ryan Smith remaster means you are not just getting a digital transfer thrown onto a disc. Somebody paid attention to how this should sound, and that shows in the finished product.
