On First Listen – Holy Ghost! by Holy Ghost!

On First Listen is not an album review, but simply a sort of stream of consciousness (albeit edited) report of what we were thinking whilst listening to this album for the first time. So don't take it too seriously, and don't see it as our final and definite opinion or something.

Oh my, now these kids seem booming. If you are an avid follower of this blog (or even so much as a sporadic one), then you’ll know we love Holy Ghost!. We have been raving about them since the get go, interviewed the guys last year, and this year the DFA signed duo will release their debut. So lets see if the album has us in a rapture on first listen as much as the singles and remixes had! If you want to listen “on the read”, then check this stream for the album.

The first song is ‘Do It Again’, which was released as a single not too long ago. It has a catchy, though quite simple beat, and it struts forward. It is very listenable. That is, I don’t think this is just for aficionados, but I think  that people not actually living in underground NY clubs might find this a gateway into this kind of world. No wonder they have been signed to the Hilfiger Denim campaign then.

‘Wait and See’ is a “new” song, as in, it has not been released prior to this album (to my knowledge). Love the start with the three layers of instruments introducing their catchy line separately. It seems rather more up-tempo than the previous song, which seemed a bit mid-tempo. Love the duo of the beat and the synth sounds when he is not singing, that’s stellar. “The problems with me are in you”, he, fun line. At the end they’ve got that “oh-oh-ho-oh-ho” thing going on, which I can imagine never fails to elicit a response live.

Third on the tracklist is ‘Hold My Breath’. Now, for the people who have paid attention recently, this track is out there in three versions! It’s on the Wolfram album as well, though in a different cut, and it is on the Wolfram yet again, but then with Shally Shapiro! This is probably the most disco and the slickest version of them all. It is amazing how these guys can craft those simple yet catchy structures with consistency, getting the beat and the synth working. With such a framework you put yourself in a good position. That bit with the lines “Take some money from the joint account” is insane instrumentally speaking.

‘Say My Name’ is another “oldie”. What jumps out looking at the tracklist is that the previously released songs never follow each other and are spread across the album. That is a good move I think, because I do feel that some albums suffered from a poor track order last year. ‘Say My Name’ spreads the disco sentiment with a chorus of “Hold on, hold on, even though you know you shouldn’t”. It has a nice down tempo – up-tempo variation.

‘Jam for Jerry’, again, is catchiness personified. Every song on this album is just so easy on the ears. Paradoxically, this song feels full of life. I say paradoxically, because in actual fact this is a song in honour of their late friend Jerry Fuchs (who in a tragic incident fell down an elevator shaft). Which has got Holy Ghost! feeling they have done something half wrong, and their inability to right both that feeling and the situation is a thriving force on this song. Thankfully they didn’t go into ballad mode for this.

Probably the oldest song is placed sixth. ‘Hold On’ saw the light of day for the very first time in 2007, and it is one of the survivors. It is a slightly slower paced song with a very identifiable introductory sound. It doesn’t sound as slick as some of the newer songs, which is a nice change of pace. “Why do the good things happen in the past”, I really like that line. It isn’t so much about the lyrics as it is about the overall feel this album conveys, but sometimes you can find nice lines like that  in there, which makes listening all the more worthwhile. I think the echoes at the end are a new touch.

‘It’s Not Over’ is another new one, and the first few seconds already work towards a slight release. Sounds a bit deeper -- if you can call it that -- with the beat a bit lower and more resonating. The vocals, though, sound very 80s on this song. This is the first song in which I notice a guitar to be honest, and it does a little solo. Percussion in the end sounds a bit heavier as well.

Oh my, a song that starts vocals only, quelle surprise! After that it goes real 80s for a moment. The song seemingly narrates about someone who is always on the run or running and can’t find peace or a moment’s rest. The song, by the way, is called ‘Slow Motion’, and you’ll hear those words repeated plenty of times during the song.

‘Static on the Wire’ was the focal point of the EP carrying the same name, an EP which was released last year. I believe it features a bit of John MacLean guitar this one. Love the – what are they? – tom-toms I think. Perhaps the song with the most layers on it.

Oh my, what an ending with none other than Michael McDonald! Well, everyone knew it was coming, as the lads themselves seem proud to have someone of his stature singing on the album. Starts off with some angelic voices as if to announce McDonald’s coming. Nice little beat to get moving to as well.

Sometimes you become enthusiastic about a band to only find that they’ve used up all of their good songs for their first singles. Or you get enthusiastic just to find that the tracklisting is really dodgy. This, though, is absolutely everything I expected of this band and more. On first listen this is just a great, great album, and I can see them becoming huge big time. The sound is just there, the tunes are there, and these guys take what they are doing seriously. It always remains to be seen how an album holds up over repeated listens (and longer), but listening it for the first time I have a hard time curbing my enthusiasm.