Ghosts hail from the great city of St. Paul, Minnesota. Formed in 2004, Ghosts has been a musical masterpiece to the surrounding underground music community. Their debut EP entitled "Eazy EP" shows off a lot of their talents, and, brings a unique and musically progressive listen.
Ghosts is:
John Moret - Vocals and Keyboards
Wertzel - Drums
Wyatt Bartlett - Guitar
Matt Johnston - Bass
It is difficult to review this cd if the reader hasn't heard at least a few of the tracks so I send you to this website where you can listen to 4 out of the 7 songs on this album:
www.myspace.com/ghosts
1 - Charles Barkley Road Trip (Collective Improvisational Instrumentation
This instrumentation is a shining start to an explosive musical experience. Though played much better live this captures the essence that the live show brings quite well. The guitar/piano/drums are all improvised but I think provide a very interesting twist on a normal instrumental on any other cd. The cons about this track are that it does drag on a little, and, if it is your first time listening to the cd, might turn you away.
[3.5/5]
2 - Mountains May Fall Into Oceans
Quite arguably the best track on the album, Mountains May Fall Into Oceans is the first "real" track on the cd. It is seamlessly meshed with the previous song and seems to flow right through. Though it has a long intro of the guitar doing volume swells it adds to the drama of when the guitar comes in full force. The drumming on this song is incredible and I find a new part to it every time I listen. The bass on this track is no exception either, as it is beautifully done and blends perfectly with the strange arrangement of chords. The vocals are, I must admit, an acquired taste, but when they sink into you this song is quite an incredible piece of art.
[5/5]
3 - Don't Forget Your James Brown Pants On Dan Patch Ave.
The song that got me hooked on Ghosts. My old favorite song by them is still a classic to my ears. The intro rings as the drums play out a strange arrangement of clicks and dings perfectly complimenting the guitar and bass. You can hear a definitive jazz influence on their works and this intro shows it especially. This is the kind of song that makes you bounce to the strange rhythms. The vocals ring out
"I sang my fears away, I'm still afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid"
it gives a strong emotional trip as you grasp his lyrics and feel his true emotion.
[5/5]
4 – Who do you think you are… Ace Frehley?
The track comes in with a driving bass line that catches your ear, and not shortly after the catchy guitar and drum and vocals all jump into the mix and it gives you so much to listen to that you don’t know what to do with it. When the song really kicks off all the instruments just blast at you. The effect at the live show was dramatically better but if you turn your stereo loud enough it helps. This is one of my favorite songs on the album and the shining star on this track would probably be the drum work and the tricky rhythms that the band pulls off together.
[4.5/5]
5 - The State's Superiority was sealed with Alan Shepard's Super Lunar Swing, part 1- Space Jam (Instrumentation)
Despite the ridiculously long title, there is a song behind it all. A very slow starting song but it builds into something great. A little on the long slide for how slow it moves but it is effective. Again this track was much better at the live show, and if you listen to it, you’ll understand why. This track is very bass heavy and can really drag the track down at points. My least favorite track on the album.
[3/5]
6 - The State's Superiority was sealed with Alan Shepard's Super Lunar Swing, part 2- it so happens that I am getting smaller and Shaq just keeps getting taller
Somehow this title reaches beyond the length of the last tracks, however, so does the music. This is a very fast paced song that flows directly from the last track. This song may seem messy and have no sense of direction, but after giving it a few listens, you get a sense for what the song is accomplishing. The part distinguishable as a sort of chorus has the instruments and the vocals pounding “burn it all down”. Towards the end you get a nice galloping outro to the song, and, to this and the last tracks instrumental trip as a whole.
[4/5]
7 – We Were the Vanguard
Another amazing track and a strong finish to the record, this song has possibly the best intro to a song I’ve ever heard. The drums make a rhythmic entrance and get you excited for what’s to come. When the guitar enters into the intro it makes you want to get up and dance around. As the main portion of the song kicks in, it loses a little bit of its excitement, but still keeps an interest with the entrance of the vocals. This song again holds some very tricky drum patterns and is another song where you could listen to it over and over paying attention to each instrument exclusively and each member makes the song excel in his own way. The song is short but sweet and has a quite abrupt ending to an amazing cd.
[4.5/5]
You probably won’t find this cd anywhere which is why at the beginning I included the link to their Myspace website. I know that this band is an acquired taste and that most people probably won’t like them as much as I do, I felt they deserved some kind of tribute for they are one of the few bands that have changed how I view my life and how music effects it. Simply put, go listen to this band.
- Neil Stach
