- Artist
- Ghosts
- Label
- Atlantic
- Release date
- 11th June 2007
- Genre
- Indie
Beyond the singles, this jangly indie debut from the Surrey four-piece ends up far too nice for its own good
Much has been made of this Surrey four-piece somehow constituting a new Coldplay/Keane hybrid. The truth is that with jangly-jaunty previous single Stay The Night, Ghosts introduced themselves as something more approaching the new Bluetones – if a somewhat more winsome and fragile version. Simon Pettigrew's appealingly reedy vocals and a bouncy, pop insouciance also set the band apart from those more serious, melancholic peers.
But such a chirpy formula can only endure so far as the melodies can entice. Sadly, Ghosts' tunes run out of fizz beyond the three singles (here, tracks one to three), including recent seven-inch The World Is Outside. Diverting off mid-album for stabs at Snow Patrol-style epic earnestness, songs such as Mind Games and Something Hilarious lack originality and, more importantly, are lyrically dull. Well-crafted, self-assured and harmony-drenched it may be, but you can't help but think The Feeling are to blame for such toe-curlingly twee pap as Stop (complete with chiming Eighties keyboards) hoodwinking quality control. Chris Martin and co can rest easy.
More to try: The Bluetones: Expecting To Fly Snow Patrol: Final Straw The Feeling: Twelve Stops And Home Keane: Hopes And Fears
