Whoever said that youth is wasted on the young had clearly not seen Love Ghost in action. An eclectic four-piece from the concrete heart of L.A., the band have worked hard to develop and refine a genuine and evolved grunge-rock sound that goes well beyond their young years. With a sound that has been favourably compared to Alice In Chains and Smashing Pumpkins, the band have wasted no time in making their name synonymous with the greatness.
Their debut full-length release, ‘Lobotomy’ was released on June 17th this year, and it quickly had fans and critics alike gushing over it. Everyone from Indie Music Guru to Pure Grain Audio has come out in support of the new record, and now it’s our turn to add some fuel to the ever-growing fire.
An album built on the band’s own teenage experiences with addiction, mental illness, heartache, love, and the universal trial of coming of age, ‘Lobotomy’ is a sonic rallying cry that is wonderfully entertaining while also crushingly relatable, when you can decipher the lyrics. Opening with powerhouse single ‘Girl Pusher’, it’s almost instantly clear that Love Ghost’s music is all about raw energy and unrepentant emotion. It’s music that takes you back to the early 90’s grunge scene where the music would tear your heart from your sleeve and pull the air from your lungs, break you down and leave you always wanting more.
Far more emotive and composed that expected, as the album continues the real talents of the band shine. ‘The Scarlet Letter’ is a rolling wave of jagged anthems, and ‘Tall Poppies’ has a sound stripped straight from Kicks Joy Darkness’ back-catalogue. There’s a noted explosion or power and unrestrained passion in tracks like ‘Parasitical Identity’ and ‘Nowhere’, with the heavy rock sound elevated by orchestral flourishes of violin notes, and the band’s take on Irish Folk classic ‘Danny Boy’ makes for a deliberate talking point.
Rising as new champions of the grunge revival, Love Ghost are a band out of time and revelling in their position as musical outcasts. They’re a band looking to make it big, but wanting to do it on their terms and with no concessions, and we have to salute them for that. It’s clear from their debut that they have the sound to back their aspirations, and it’s hard to fault the records as it stands. Clearer vocals could be nice in some of the early tracks, with Finn Bell’s vocals often muddied by the indelible wall of sound that the band creates, but when the album is built on instinct and tactile sound, what does it really matter?
Score: 8/10
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