LOVE GHOST
Tales Of A Sad Boy
Los Angeles, United States
Time travel is real, and I can prove it. It's going to take some work on your end so be ready for that, but here we go. It's really, very simple. Load up whatever you listen to music on, be that Soundcloud or what-have-you, and listen to the latest EP from Love Ghost, ‘Tales of a Sad Boy.’ Bish, boom, what do you know it, it's 2023 but the 00s are still going on right under our noses; ipso facto, time travel complete! ‘Tales of a Sad Boy’ is a fundamentally post-punk/pop-punk album that harkens sounds from the 00s and does them a great amount of justice. It's bright, loud, rhythmic and full of melodies that will get you jumping in the smallest of spaces. Love Ghost have nailed it, from the lyrics to the tone, the themes and the pacing, ‘Tales of a Sad Boy’ is an EP you won’t want to miss. Especially as we already established, it makes time travel possible.
The EP is only 4 songs long, a real horror for any fan of this genre of music. It is rarely done right, and when you come across a band that absolutely smashes it out of the park like Love Ghost, you just want more and more and more. Alas, 4 songs, but each of them is a precious stone in the rough of contemporary rock.
‘Heartless MASTER’ sets the tone for the album. It opens up and within 2 seconds you’re in it. You know the vibe, you know the tone and you get the gist, it's manic and magical all at once. The guitar listing slowly in the back, full of pent-up angst. The bass rattles in the low end, just waiting to jump up to give us those classic metallic bass tones. The drums keep off for now, but you can feel them in the ether, waiting to strike. Once the song gets going it's melodic, loud and full of wondrous harmonies. The vocals are clear, crunchy when they need to be and shine amongst the instrumental. That’s song one. And there’s much more to come.
The album moves, it shifts its tone and ‘Lethargic’ comes into play. It's slower and has a hook that bites as its lyrics suggest. The chorus explodes with passion and emphasis and the song grows on you as it plays. ‘Samurai’ is faster, heavier, and brings that rap influence that post-punk rock is known for. Just when you think you’ve heard every tone that Love Ghost can throw at you, a scream punches through the gloom. It's bright, it's ripping and it's full of emotion. It catches you in the heart and you can’t turn away. Enthralling at every turn, truly.
The album closes with ‘Train Tracks’ and it really has been one heck of a journey. Blisteringly fast, ‘Tales of a Sad Boy’ showcases so much in such a short window. It's manic, clever, tonal and full of melodies that will stay with you for weeks. Machine Gun Kelly’s ‘Tickets to my Downfall’ just got beat, and it got beat bad.