Out now on Bandcamp via Shore Dive Records is the ‘Future Is Dead’ ep by
Alternative Rock/Shoegaze/ DreamPop/ Post-Rock collective, New Ghost, who are based in Sheffield, England.
The ep starts with the US Alternative Rock style track ‘Your Reds’, full of crunch and fuzz. Then, the vocals- a soulful female voice with a contemporary feel, guides and moves the tune with ethereal backing vocals and a lower pitched male voice adding to the expansive sound. The melody twists and turns into a memorably catchy chorus. A guitar stabs in and out of the mix, fluttering and waiting in the wings. In comes a fuzzy and spacey guitar solo, with a swirl of flangey psychedelia. It’s unhurried and effortlessly flows and evolves. Then the tune breaks into a keys and sustaining guitar feedback dominated passage, which builds, as vocals soar and drums increase in intensity. It’s a strong way to finish a tune and the perfect start to this ep.
Fountain: With a more electronic beat at it’s start, ‘Fountain’ builds with bass smoothly locked to the drums, guitar darting in and out and the vocals once more, dreamily gliding in. The male vocal gets chance to shine, before harmonising with the female, reminiscent of how classic Scottish Indie band, The Delgadoes would construct their vocal passages to produce a classic Indie and poppy sound. The hints of guitar are understated, adding to a dreamlike ambience.
With an energetic start, ‘Every River’ has a slight Dub-Reggae quality to it, with tight, echoey drums and a thick bass sound. The guitar has a wall-of-sound, Shoegaze flavour, but remains in the background, adding texture and colour. The male vocal leads, locking in with the bassier music elements provide a sense of gravitas, with the female vocal later adding shade and form as the chorus weaves in. Synth adds to defining this tune and giving it a distinctive character; much like the other two tunes on this ep, which are thoughtfully rendered to have their own identity and style, but are consistent.
It’s reminiscent of Mogwai, but also, Explosions In The Sky and Slint. ‘Every River’ is a perfectly pitched third track and an epic finale to a highly listenable and atmospheric ep.
