Real Eyes
The intersection of Power Punk Alley and Alternative
Boulevard is haunted. At first blush
First Ghost sounds like you’ve heard them before. Vocalist Ryan Sweet brings the standard slightly
flat singing that signals that First Ghost is “Alternative,” yet the first four
tracks of Real Eyes – “Rain,” “Shaking,”
“Westdel Bourne,” and “Someone Else” allow guitarist Sweet and bassist/drummer
Anton DeLost to shred with less distortion than many recent alternative
releases. The clarity of the sound,
powered by DeLost’s drumming gives Real
Eyes a more punk ethos.
“Someone Else,”
the EP’s fifth track opens quite a bit slower than the first four, but patience
rewards the listener with a rise to the harder punkier sound First Ghost should
become known for. The title track closes
out the collection opening with a more classic guitar riff reminiscent of “La
Bamba,” but once Sweet opens his mouth, First Ghost moves into more established
alternative territory. “Real Eyes” is
the EP’s most musically adventurous and enjoyable track, simply for the range
it demonstrates and the risks the band takes.
This is the track I’d distribute as the single.
The only place
London, Ontario-based First Ghost seemingly refuses to take risks are in the
lyrics department. All six tunes despair
of love and broken relationships and people.
The lack of lyrical maturity nestled inside the musical excellence of
the EP disappoints a bit, but if you listen
for the music alone, you’ll not be disappointed. First Ghost’s Real Eyes EP fits comfortably in the alternative camp without
getting lost and smothered by sound-alikes.
Their just-unique-enough sound keeps them from stale same-ness and is
definitely worth your time Amazon/iTunes credits.
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