Not since Sputnik has a single launch been so stratospheric.

The country that began the Space Race is instigating more innovation as self-described “thunder pop” purveyors Pinkshinyultrablast rocket into 2016 with a resounding roar. Its tanks full of phenomenal fretboarding fuel, the Russian quintet’s second LP Grandfeathered transports one of the heaviest payloads ever recorded and propels them on an astounding ascent towards indie stardom.

2015 test flight Everything Else Matters was a captivating capsule, but PSUB have improved those schematics and fabricated a stronger shuttle engineered for maximum weight. Mission commander Roman Parinov (guitar) and co-pilots Sergey (drums), Igor Simkin (bass) and Rustam Izmailov (keyboards) transfer pulverizing propulsion to boosters “Glow Vastly” and “I Catch You Napping,” lifting PSUB off the pad at warp speed. Main thruster “Kiddy Pool Dreams” – which powered past all possible parallels to become last year’s best song – shatters the sound barrier and combusts in explosive momentum from the mass of Parinov’s Hum-ish intro and Simkin’s subtle impulse shifts.

Instead of merely gliding upon reentry, PSUB keep the engines locked on high throttle. Singer Lyubov Soloveva, exhaling lilting vocals inside the entire pod, finds extra room to breathe during the landing sequence. Her steady walk above “The Cherry Pit” is tethered to an enormous exhaust of g-force guitars that could burn through the ozone. “Mölkky” aggressively accelerates the approach, and the cleaner carbons of “Comet Marbles” and the title track form hifi heat shields, ensuring a stable touchdown.

Grandfeathered traverses an untouchable trajectory. For Pinkshinyultrablast, the sky’s the limit.