Former Ghosts

Former Ghosts is the synthpop inspired band formed and led by Freddy Ruppert (of this song is a mess but so am I) and consisting of Jamie Stewart (of Xiu Xiu) and Nika Roza (of Zola Jesus). The album sweeps through you with it’s sweet melodic side, sprinkling in sharp, chaotic, discordant moments -- as if to punish you for having enjoyed yourself, for having let your guard down. “Dreams” plays through with melodies and textures reminiscent of early synth-pop, kept alive with the warm heart-like thumping of the synthetic kick drum. Freddy’s (This Song Is A Mess But So Am I) vocals crawl low through the hallucinatory soundscape, led on by the gentle buttering of Jamie’s back-ups in the chorus. Nika (Zola Jesus) enters the album on "In Earth's Palm" -- picture Barbra Streisand laying in the street at night, covered in hot tar, with her legs broken, still managing to sing powerfully, beautifully. The intensity and virtuosity of her voice torques the dynamic of the entire album into an unexpected shape--and it's here, as a powerful feminine counterpart is added to the vulnerable male figures at work, that the fragmented sensation of having more than one lead singer plays out. Love is the most emotionally tangible embodiment of all things delicate; love is confusing and violent. The multitude of voices are both a reflection of and a creation of the themes of loss, confusion, unexpected joy; they are sensations as disjointed, multi-vocal and diverse as the emotional experiences offered here. Jamie's (Xiu Xiu, etc) influence on the album enters obliquely, buttering some of the albums harder edges, organizing the sometimes disoriented moments of glitch and electro-mania. He plays an unfamiliar role -- softer, more understated (in his particular context) -- but in his familiar style. Starring solo on "I Wave," you're drawn into the springy synths, cushioned by his smooth voice--the track is almost a reprieve from heavier textures found elsewhere in the album.