Ghost of a Stranger

Ghost of a Stranger
CheeckyChicago.com
by Amanada Troup
03/26/09

When a band describes themselves as “an astro-party inside your ears”, it’s probably something worth listening to. Not that I know what an astro-party is, exactly, but New York-based band, Ghost of a Stranger, throws a damn fine one. They’re a mix of The Killers and Bloc Party – even so, it’s hard to categorize them.

Their debut release on independent label Veggie Co., Hers and Yours, is a nine-track long, feel good album. Though some might say that this is just an effort to show off influences – and to be honest, Ghost of a Stranger isn’t really reinventing the wheel here – I would counter that the band takes those influences and makes them better. For example, imagine if you could take the best qualities of all your ex-significant others and combine them into one new person. This is what Ghost of a Stranger does for your ears.

The album starts off with an adrenaline pumping one-minute instrumental intro (appropriately titled “Intro”) that definitely draws the listeners in and leaves them wanting more. For the most part, the songs are upbeat and poppy, and ones you might just find yourself toe-tapping or all-out dancing to (just make sure you’re alone). Lead singer Peter Torrey’s Brit-sounding vocals infuse and compliment the melodies of the band members - Adam Korbesmeyer (Guitar/Synth), Greg Gebhard (Bass) and Josh Martin (Drums) – on every song. These boys definitely have a cohesive, inspirational sound.

Lyrically, the band is absolutely relatable and at times, humorous. In “You Alone”, for example, Torrey sings, “You said you were allergic to any kind of pickup line / So I bet you one drink that I’d take you home that night.” One of the best songs on this album, both lyrically and musically, is “Fight It Out” – “Some days I love you / And some days you’re my biggest enemy / And I’ll try to save you / But you don’t need any saving, do you?” The best part? It’s also featured as a remix (the last song of the album – a great way to go out).

They’re touring the east coast this summer. Hopefully, the band will make their way to Chicago. Knowing how amazing they are, it kind of makes me long for the old days when bands would finance their own tour by jumping in a rented van. Check out their myspace for new tunes. - CheekyChicago.com

Ghost of a Stranger – Hers and Yours
Record Label: Veggie Co. Records
Release Date: April 25, 2008

There’s this club in my town called Tonic. I’ve never been there, but I know people who have. They play music (aka "the cuts") at Tonic. They also sell alcohol to nervous kids with condom-stuffed wallets. Tonic is truly a majestic place, a land of opportunity and ear-pounding bliss. Or so I hear. You won’t catch me at Tonic, but not because I don’t own enough shirts from Express or silver-ish neck jewelry. It’s because I look awkward as f**k when I dance. I would kill any chance with any girl at Tonic by the end of “Love In This Club.” Instead you’ll find me across the street eating a quesadilla and judging the hell out of everyone exiting Tonic’s mysterious halls. I don’t hate those people, but I do hate their rhythmic abilities. This character flaw is why I might have to stay home if Ghost of a Stranger ever visit my town. I tried to moonwalk down the street while bumping the grimy squalls of “House” and, mysteriously, four numbers (all attached to female names, I might add) deleted themselves from my phone’s address book. I’m a lost cause.

Hers and Yours isn’t dance music per se, but this extremely accessible form of post-punk makes it really hard for me to act like I don’t care about anything. Pete Torrey’s British-leaning vocals always come with ample layers of fuzz and club grime while the guitars continually rev up the album's dancensity (that’s dance + intensity). Once “Fight It Out” ends its catchy interplay between ringing guitars and subterranean bass pounding, you might think Ghost of a Stranger have set the bar too high. Well, they set the bar a smidge too high. “This Letter” switches gears with ease by elongating the band’s formula with warbling, post-rock-ish guitars and a bass groove that casts even more dark atmospheres around an already hazy track. Torrey speeds the song forward with cries of, “Yes, I’m wrong / And you’re right / And that’s why I’m leaving.” This song, although there are others like it, most noticeably sounds like Interpol if they loosened their ties and moved to a college town.

Ghost of a Stranger could still sound complex without synthesizers, but I’m beginning to see that’s a battle I won’t win. “You Alone” begins (aside from the dastardly synths) with the cheeky line, “ Your hands are freezing cold / And I said / ‘Meet me in the pocket of my jacket’” and rigid riffs courtesy of Adam Korbesmeyer. The song smashes together the grit of Bloc Party and the playfulness of Motion City Soundtrack, which reminds me, Ghost of a Stranger aren’t exactly revolutionary. But they are certainly enjoyable. A few cases of “Your influences are showing!” shouldn’t matter too much. I just want to cut a rug like the chorus of “Everybody Move” instructs. Listen to those cymbals; they’re so foot-tappingly awesome I suspect subliminal foul play. Can’t. Stop. Shaking. It.

Wait! Where are you going? Fine, it’s your loss.


Recommended If You Like: Bloc Party, Interpol, NY-via-UK, the Velocet, the guy who plays House in TV's House - Absolutepunk.net

Ryan Taughrin
Arts Editor


Ghost of A Stranger
Hers and Yours
Veggie Co. Records
∗∗∗∗

One year ago, Ghost of a Stranger looked well prepared for the Battle of the Bands. With aspirations to make it in the industry, the unsigned band captured second place.

With new drummer Josh Martin behind the sticks, a record label backing them and an ever-growing fan base, Ghost conquered this year’s battle with brand new material and a chemistry that separated them from the competition. With the chance to open for Cartel and The Secret Machines in place, it would only make sense to cap this semester off with the release of their debut album, Hers and Yours.

Taking listeners on to an indie-rock dance party, the album is the product of recording in Mahopec and Fredonia, N.Y. The bulk of this semester was dedicated to cleaning up the album, after missing a few beats in recording sessions across the state.

“We were pretty disappointed with outcome and spent [the] last few weeks reproducing. We wanted to do more with the music we had. Adam’s role the past few months has been producing this album,” said bassist and senior music business major Greg Gebhard.

In addition to wrapping up the production of the album, Adam Korbesmeyer has created guitar riffs throughout that are unmistakably catchy. The back and forth response with vocalist Pete Torrey on “Everybody Move” and “Battles” not only show their natural chemistry but keep each songs chorus ringing for hours after initially hearing the track.

“Vocals are what we try to feature on each song. Pete has excellent talent and a unique voice. Not only does the band support his style but the instrumentation complements his vocals,” Korbesmeyer said. “This sets us apart from other bands in Fredonia. It allows us to take our music to the next level.

Strikingly similar to Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Torrey’s vibrato creates a refreshing tone quality to the overall production of Ghost’s music. His ability to take pop-sensible lyrics and add a singer-songwriter feel to them allows Hers and Yours to be marketable to a wide array of audiences. As Torrey sings “Somedays I love you and somedays you’re my biggest enemy/ And I’ll try to save you, but you /But it’s too late to find out/And it’s too late, to forget about,” on "Fight it out," it is easy to comprehend his natural affinity for Ghost’s musical process.

“If there is a story I want to tell, I will put it to music. The whole process of writing music is very natural [and] really relaxing. I don’t know where it comes from,” Torrey said. “It is kind of weird. I can pick up a guitar and the next thing you know, a song is put together. I don’t think it’s very hard, I’d say it’s God’s gift to me.”

In addition, the band explained that once Torrey brings an idea to the table, it is a collaborative effort when it comes to arranging other parts and making the song come to life. Gebhard’s definitive bass line on the album’s first single “Battles,” combined with Torrey’s vocal styling and a larger than life chorus exemplifies their collaborative efforts, showing each members ability to draw energy from each other.

Listening to the album from start to finish, the progression from beginning to end exhibits the maturity and sensibility of creating an entire album, not simply a collection of tracks. The mood and dynamics rapidly throw you on your feet, dancing to the hints of synth and Bloc Party-inspired guitar riffs. By track eight, Ghost of a Stranger does a fine job of wrapping up their musical journey with an impressive instrumental outro.

With an album that showcases and matches their chemistry and entrancing live performance, Ghost of a Stranger’s next step will be to reach out beyond Fredonia. So far, they have shared the stage with other regional indie bands looking to make it big. Embarking on a summer tour with unfamiliar audiences will test the album’s staying power.

“Our hopes for the summer are to hit the road with Endive in August and play for as many ears in the Northeast as we possibly can. There is a still a lot of people that haven’t heard us and until every person has, we won’t be satisfied,” Martin said.

Their summer tour with Endive is slated to spread their sound across the Midwest, through Michigan and back in Buffalo for a late August date. Most importantly, Ghost will kick off their promotion of the album with a release show on April 25 at Valentine's bar.

Putting the quality of this album aside, the intentions of Ghost of a Stranger complement their recent string of success. As the band simply looks to get their music out to anyone and everyone who will listen, they are proud to have created two things; a record they can be proud of and a friendship created through putting emotion and passion into their music.
- SUNY Fredonia: The Leader

by David Taintor

On Ghost of a Stranger’s myspace page, the band describes their music as indie/garage/shoegaze, and it’s an acceptable list of terms to detail the band’s sound. Now, shoegaze is a term that I’ve only recently become familiar with. Apparently named originally for the live performers’ habit of remaining motionless, only gazing down upon their shoes, hence, “shoegazing.” Groups like My Bloody Valentine and The Verve can fit comfortably in these parameters. Personally, I’m not terribly fond of the trend of scrutinizing and categorizing bands into strict genres. Post-rock, post-punk, industrial, emo, power-pop, I’m sure we can all think of one or two bands that fall into each of these categories. I prefer to evaluate a piece of music and think of it subjectively as it stands alone. Whether Ghost of a Stranger really is “shoegazey” or not might be your decision. In all honesty, when I listen to Hers and Yours, I picture Peter Torrey and co. tapping their feet rather than staring at them.

And so the record begins relentlessly with “You Alone.” Torrey and Adam Korbesmeyer’s guitar jangle and pierce through the mix with flawless tone. It’s so refreshing to see a young band with guitar players that practice taste and restrain when writing parts, not to mention paying attention to tone quality. Each of the members’ parts compliments one another, creating a well-balanced sound. Torrey’s lyrics are especially literate, recalling nights of hands in each other’s pockets and lit cigarettes. It’s the kind of exciting scene that one experiences when meeting someone new of great interest. I appreciate his word choice, for much of good writing involves creating vivid imagery.

Consequently, as soon as the album’s opener is finished the succeeding songs, “House” and “Everybody Move,” end up sounding mundane in comparison. All the right elements are there; the guitars are still snappy, the rhythm section of Greg Gebhard and Josh Martin is tight, but nothing about these songs sparkles. However, the record ends just as enthusiastically as it began, with “Fight It Out.” “This is all we’ve got,” sings Torrey over and over again to cement his purpose. It’s not an unfamiliar method to end an album, but it works in creating closure and tying the album together.

Ghost of a Stranger sound the best when they feel the most natural. The record begins so effortlessly, that you wish you could roll those riffs off your fingers with equal ease. Hers and Yours is a strong effort, and not one that I will discontinue anytime soon, but it isn’t without a few slip-ups. As long as they keep those guitars cranked and sounding as good as they do, you’ll want to do anything but stare at your shoes while you listen.

Artist: Ghost of a Stranger
Album: Hers and Yours
Label: Veggie Co. Records
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Reviewed By: David Taintor - TheDailyChorus.com