Glass Ghost
Idol Omen
Western Vinyl
8/10
Possibility after taking a listen to Idol Omen, the debut LP from the Bronx dynamic duo known as Glass Ghost, then maybe devoted lovers of the West Coast sound (like myself) might be able to appreciate East Coast music a tiny bit more. Former Flying band members Eliot Krimsky and Mike Johnson are set to release their latest project on October 27, 2009. Their bizarre but thought-provoking album, plus an East Coast tour scheduled to start toward the end of the summer has fans and critics a like looking forward to the rest of year.
For starters, the album is a great jumping off point. For instance, the first track, “Time Saving Trick,” delivers the trademark falsetto voice of Krimsky. The song has a hypnotic combination of highs and lows- Krimsky’s vocal highs and the heaving bass-pumping lows. The song rolls along and just before you know it, the track is over. It’s unpredictable but it is reassuring all at the same time. All in all, that is a good thing; an audience deserves to be captivated by an artist’s musical sophistication and dynamism.
The highly melodic sound of “Divisions,” accomplishes the exact opposite from what the song title implies. In fact, the instruments and the vocals create an intense musical connection as well as an undeniable harmony. While the keyboard playing is unnerving and the tempo is scatter brained, Krimsky manages to keep everything in place with his haunting vocals. Also, the arrangement takes the listener on this exciting journey.
With a very parade-like sound to it, “The Same,” tells an interesting story of fear and anxiety. Who is that man that terrifies the singer? Then all of a sudden, there is a dramatic midpoint that adds another dimension to an already fascinating concept. However, while it has the potential to be a brilliant stand-out track, listeners are left feeling disappointed because the melody just drifts away and has an abrupt ending.
The moodiest track (in a good way) is “Like a Diamond,” because the melody has a very slow and steady vibe but the lyrics strike the biggest chord. There is plenty of introspection going on here and Krimsky once again has the ideal tone of voice to deliver these reservations that borderline almost on light depression. Many can relate to feeling out of place and unsure of themselves, so it is great that Glass Ghost is able to give more than just a great melody; they actually take the time to explore human emotion through the art of music. It’s very difficult to do this and have it all make sense but these guys manage to accomplish this task to a fair degree.
At first glance,” Violence,” sounds like a heavy and negative title for a song but leave it up this creative twosome to turn that notion on its head. In fact, the African drums signal a fun, playful energy from the very start. Also, hip-hop elements peppered in with the snare of R&B takes this band to a completely refreshing and exciting level. In this track, they do not threaten aggressively but actually invite the ear to listen peacefully with open arms. This song offers a new perspective to a band that could have played it safe but they choose to showcase diversity and for this song to appear on a debut LP, the fans will be asking for more.
If music-lovers from coast-to-coast want to hear something new, progressive and unexplainable then check out Glass Ghost. They use sound to its fullest and they manage to incorporate so many different layers without loosing its mark most of the time.
–Gail Navarro