Customer Reviews

As If By Ghosts

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There's nothing more to say about this album. It's amazing. Get it, you'll have no regrets. If you're a fan of Explosions in the sky, Mono (japan), and Godspeed you black Emperor, Broken Social Scene, or even the Smashing Pumpkins, You'll love these guys a lot. Best tracks (for me): Four days in May, Murmur, The old house and it's occupant, Slide song, and Passing.. It's one of the best CDs no one is talking about.

On As If By Ghosts, Dreamend bridges the gap between traditional rock commonly heard on the radio and the sprawling post-rock now gaining in popularity. While influenced by shoegazers such as Slowdive, I've also noticed similarities with Mono (a focus on guitars, sudden deafening walls of sound) and Sigur Ros (slow tempo, high male vocals). The album starts off with a bang with the astounding Of Ravens and Winds, a quiet piece that unexpectedly kicks into a heavy feedback-laced roar. It's incredibly effective and places high expectations on the rest of the album, which fares well. Other highlights include the mellow instrumental Ellipsis, the haunting Four Days in May, the effortless bluegrass of Slide Song, the pounding brilliance of The Old House, Its Occupants, A Sunny Holiday, a Shadow Ship and the beautiful build and release of the closer Passing. If it seems like I'm picking a lot of highlights, it's because each song seems to stand out from the rest, and each has something different to offer while still staying true to the overall feel.

For a band so young and obscure, I expected something far less polished, and yes, there are parts of Can't Take You where the singer's unsure voice simply can't compete, but on the whole I found As If By Ghosts an outstanding album. These ten tracks stand up to repeated listening incredibly well, and I'd recommend the album to anyone interested in either rock or post-rock.