By: Faetra Petillo
Raiting: 6/11

To say a band shows great potential is kind of a journalist cop-out. Its reads like the reviewer is unable to give an artist a thumbs up or a thumbs down and symbolizes a lack of conviction. But in the case of Ghost Ghost, I have a difficult time praising them and an even harder time writing them off. Their talent goes beyond merely showing potential, but their lack of a musical core makes it feel like they are doing an eternal dance around greatness. Their EP release might be the shot they threw into the dark before they have a major breakthrough. If only they could get there.

In music, diversity of sound can either be a band's greatest asset or its Achilles heel. It's a fine line to walk between allowing yourself to be influenced by an eclectic collection of styles and turning your music into an overly-inspired jumble without a central line holding it down. At this point in their career, Ghost Ghost is leaning towards the latter. That is not to say they are bad, but their EP release has major issues when it comes to commitment. If it wasn't for the lead vocals, I would have thought each individual track was from a different group entirely. Diversity is good, a lack of coherence is not. The album is all over the place, and it's all over the place at a crucial time in the band's career where they need to be putting forward a sound that screams "This is who we are and this is the music we play."  If they choose to play around within that, all the better. But Ghost Ghost seems to be lacking a definitive statement.

As a result, the album is hit or miss. There are tracks like "Hide and Seek" that have a raw, mellow, dissonant alt-rock sound reminiscent of early Bright Eyes. But then there are tracks like "Will You Be True" that sound like they are out of a bad late 90's emo album, during which the vocals start to take on a very whiny quality.

That being said, there are admirable aspects to Ghost Ghost that work at redeeming their faults. Their lyrics are well thought out and meaningful. It is clear from an initial listen that the members of Ghost Ghost are not just musicians; they are also poets. Each song tells a complex story, taking several listens to fully understand the meaning of. They do a superb job at ensuring the tone of the story matches the rhythm of the music. In an age where "vocals" can mean simply being able to scream and wail incomplete words into a microphone, it is refreshing to see a band that still values the role of the lyricist.

As much as some of the tracks are not to my liking, I have to admit that there is a grunge rock feel to their music that I miss hearing in most of their contemporaries. It's not just the dissonance or the crazy guitar riffs or the steady, heavy drumming, it's the feeling behind it. Ghost Ghost's passion and efforts seep through every aspect of their music and if they can just find the right tone and style to direct it to, they will be golden.

Ghost Ghost recently took part in the RPM Challenge, a project where bands record an entire album in 28 days, "just because you can."  Ghost Ghost wrote and recorded an album in just two days, inspired by the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay.  Check out their process here, or catch them live March 5th at Saints and Sinners in Hoboken.