Distorto guitars. Clap-along beats. Jittery synth lines. Girl-boy harmonies on ultra-cool melodies and catchy choruses on an individually hand-painted CD. ... What else could you want?
Well, maybe a little better recording and production. I wanna hear Marcie Bolen's snaky, jaggedy guitar lines just as loud as Deleano Acevedo's synth. But that's a small qualm — and maybe even a compliment — because these songs deserve the full sonic spectrum. They're pretty damn good, after all. But does aural fidelity really matter?
"Silverghost is about the relaxed freedom of not having to be perfect! We have fun and forget about being uptight 'cause everything is alright." So sayeth the duo's MySpace page, and it's hard to argue or pick at that sentiment.
Given the history of the band (do we have to tell you that Marcie's surname was once Von Bondie?), it's not hard to tell why keepin' it fun and low-key would be a welcome change after the circus of fame, rumor, throwdown and backlash that was the Von Bondies' legacy. It's also hard not to read a little of that former relationship into some of these lyrics; "You just weren't that important" (from, um, "Unimportant") could be about anybody in any situation. And, sure, lots has happened since then with regard to experience and other people and whatnot. But you still know who 95 percent of the folks listening are gonna think it's about. But again, who cares? Get it off your chest. That's part of what forming a band is all about, right?
The bottom line is that all four of the songs featured here have something in them that will stick in your head. That especially applies to "So Lost Now," with its wistful little guitar line, lovelorn verse and kinda sad chorus. "How it Started" is near prog by comparison, with its guitar-vocal tandem melodies and stop-starts. And the kickoff track, "Bad Blood," is a classic "fuck all y'all" dealing with perceptions and misconceptions. It could be read as a manifesto of sorts, if the rest of the EP weren't so damn much fun. Or just maybe, those two things aren't mutually exclusive? —Mike Ross
Silverghost plays Saturday, Nov. 1, at Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore, Detroit; 873-1739. See more at italyrecordsdetroit.com.
Silverghost plays Saturday, Nov. 1, at Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore, Detroit; 313-873-1739. See more at italyrecordsdetroit.com.
Mike Ross writes about music for Metro Times. Send comments to [email protected].
