Media

Former Ghosts: "Hold On" (MP3)

5:57 a.m. · September 21, 2009 · by Matthew Richardson

The question begged by Former Ghosts is, if Freddy Rupert of This Song Is a Mess But So Am I, Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, and Nika Roza of Zola Jesus used to be ghosts, then what are they now? Are they spirits who have at last, found peace in the afterlife, or are they vengeful specters made flesh, committed to bring ruin down on the heads of the living? Listening to the dissonant, garish edges of "Hold On," it's pretty clear that Former Ghosts is leaning towards the latter.  This track has the band coming off a bit like a brighter Joy Division; not in terms of content, but Rupert's voice does seem to hang around the higher registers; a good trick to throw happy people off of how dark your music is. [The Fader]