Former Ghosts - New Love
- Written by Melanie McGovern
The formation of Former Ghosts was almost accidental - songs that were written as an outlet for core member Freddy Ruppert soon spawned a new musical project which was forged with the talents of Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart and Zola Jesus' Nika Roza Danilova. Following on from the critical acclaim of last year's release Fleurs, Ruppert returns with New Love, an extension of his experimental synth-pop, layerings of sounds and lashings of emotion.
This is an album full of ambivalence and Ruppert himself states that while the album "is a lot darker", it's "kind of poppier" too. As a songwriter who disregards his inhibitions, his exposure of himself and his states is naked and unadorned - and there is a certain charm in this honesty, no matter how clumsy the words are one moment, or hard hitting the next.
Released on UK label Upset the Rhythm the album's over-riding theme and sound is that of the longing for brighter days - metaphorically of course, in opening track's title 'The Days Will Get Long Again' for example and follow up 'Winter's Days'. The clinical, cold sounds defining of the season cocoon Ruppert's honest lyrics which are laid bare from the first instance as he states "just say the words...I spill them out again. I know this feeling".
Nothing here is shrouded in a prettiness, just a distorted vision of the world after a heartache, and a tiny glint of hope, in track 'New Orleans' as he begs, then accepts: "if you leave the city take me with you". Disjointed vocals are smothered under electronic glitchy sounds and synth strings - it is untraditional in almost every element - the sound, the clamour, the song structure - yet the underlying message is a universal one. Title track 'New Love''s sparsely lyrical lament "Give me new love/Give me all your love" displays this effortlessly, and ultimately with the most poignancy.
While Former Ghosts' second helping is indeed, at times a catchier, poppier record in terms of faster tempos, with often surprisingly melodic outros, it constantly torments with this juxtaposition between emotions, noises, space and sound. Lyrics harbour a hopelessness and positivity in seemingly one lyric ("is it him or me because I've been losing too long"), while 'Bare Bones' expertly conveys a blur of feeling as minor and major synth chord progressions bleed over each other in the chorus. This kind of overlapping dictates a sinister element and mood, a blurring of emotions as sadness manifests itself momentarily in anger.
These angsty yet deeply personal proclamations of Ruppert's, with the assistance of Zola Jesus' full-bodied yelps, allow the album to be viewed as mature and honest, while her female vocals add a certain warmth to the vacant despair of the voice that throughout narrates us through his New Love. It is definitely a listen for the winter months that lyrically holds much promise while being just as challenging and intriguing musically as any of Jamie Stewart's work. That said, it is not an easy listen - the honesty is intense and the gaps between these thoughts are painful silences filled only by equally cold resonating keys and splashings of abrasive cymbols - the harsh sounds of a shattered heart.