Customer Reviews

Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My 18 year old daughter was killed recently by a drunk driver. At the same time I learned about Cloud Cult and their latest release "Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)". The album intrigued me and I wanted to know more about the band. I learned that the leader of the band, Craig Minowa, and his wife, Connie, lost their 2-year-old son Kaidin in February of 2002. They have written honestly and painfully about their loss and their grief and their struggle to make sense of life over the course of five albums now. I have purchased all of their albums and it has helped me to be able to witness their journey. This release, "Feel Good Ghosts", seems like they have turned a corner. I have heard it said that we do not recover from loss, we only learn to live with it, like an amputation. Craig and the band have produced songs that embrace and celebrate life in all of its benevolent and terrible aspects - that tea-party through tornadoes. The concept reminds me of the images presented in the 23rd Psalm of walking confidently through the valley of the shadow of death, and of feasting at a banquet while surrounded by enemies. The musicianship is top-notch. The tunes are interesting and diverse. The lyrics are meaningful. This is just a fantastic album, and it has renewed my sense of appreciation for this beautiful mystery called life. I think you should buy it.

Such a great album, it's hard to believe there aren't more reungs out. May Your Hearts stay strong is such a strong song, you want to just crank it up and sing your lungs out with it.
"Everybody Here is a Cloud" builds so nicely, and the lyric "There's so much more to see in the darkest places" is just such an awesome sentiment. What keeps striking me about this disk is the outstanding lyrics. Every song one this disk offers something. Take a minute and give it a spin, you won't regret it.

Big fan of Cloud Cult. This is another amazing CD from them. If you like any of their other albums, highly recommend this to you!

Great CD. Every song has a unique melody with awe-inspiring lyrics. Their best work yet. A must buy for indie rock fans and an obvious choice for Cloud Cult fans. Some of their creativity has diminished in regards to their CD formatting; probably a result of their newly signed record label.

Let me first just say I am relatively new to Cloud Cult. `The Meaning of 8' was my introduction to them, so I was eager for more new material even as I went back and collected their previous works. So when I saw a new album come out already I was stoked!

Honestly, on my first listen, I wasn't sure about this new record. However from my second listen on, I loved it! Cloud Cult presents us with a great follow up to the `Meaning of 8'. It's obvious that even though it's been less than a year, a lot of work went into this album. The production is great, the sound is balanced, and the lyric writing shows extraordinary talent.

The album starts off much less quirky than meaning of 8, with two strong songs. By the time you get to the 3rd (and title) track "The Tornado Lessons" and you hear the old time radio transmission feedback and staccato vocals, you know you're listening to Cloud Cult. I can even compare this song to a good Modest Mouse track. The almost rapping that Craig Minowa does here sounds much like Isaac Brock. If that's a band you're a fan of, check out this song/album.

Another song "Ghosts Inside Our House" is a nice change of pace. All acoustic guitars and vocals, complemented nicely with some soft violin. This song has one of my favorite lyrics from the album, "I watched you sleep until 5am because I want to be part of your dreaming". Such a beautiful sentiment for anyone that has looked on a sleeping loved one and felt that special kind of peace.

Noteworthy songs here are `Everybody Here is a Cloud' because it really connects you to music in a special way. Also, `Story of the Grandson of Jesus' is a fun story-telling song which is chock full of life-lesson 1-liners such as "The moral of the story is it all looks terrible, depending on what you look through" and "It's not an eye for an eye, it's a favor for a favor".

The orchestral sounds are used well throughout the album, especially on "When Water Comes To Life". This group is obviously skilled at creating music that emotes, oozes, and draws actual feeling out of you. You don't have to be part of their cult to get this gift, you just have to listen. When you get the gift though, you will become part of the cult - and a fan.

I enjoy albums that have a theme when they are well done. Feel Good Ghosts (TPTT) does a good job of subtly carrying the Tornado theme through the album. They also do a tasteful job of discussing the tragic death of their young son, most notably on the last song "Love You All". Perhaps that lends to their ability to bring that emotion to the music. This album is so good, I wish they would have made the minute long ditty "It's what you need" into a full song, I think it would have been great.

With 11 full length tracks, more than half are really good, so I'm giving this album a solid 4 stars!

-thanks for reading!-

For those like myself who wondered what Cloud Cult would do to follow-up their masterpiece, THE MEANING OF 8, we now have the answer. While about two-thirds the length of the lengthy "8," FEEL GOOD GHOSTS is nonetheless packed with outstanding music, another stunning achievement from this unique band. Like "8," "GHOSTS" is a philosophical and very personal (sometimes biographical) look at the world and our place in it from the keen eyes and very creative mind of band leader, Craig Minowa. The eye-catching pictures on the album jacket hint at the gold inside, and from the incredible opener, "No One Said It Would Be Easy" to the anthem-like closer, "Love You All," the music is spellbinding in its distinctive Cloud Cult manner. As was the case with "8," FEEL GOOD GHOSTS is best listened to in one sitting from beginning to end to fully appreciate its thematic underpinnings and musical flows and surprises.

Indie rock's finest band has produced a superb follow-up to their astonishing THE MEANING OF 8. FEEL GOOD GHOSTS belongs in the musical library of any discriminating listener of genuinely excellent alternative music.

This is a great album, by one of the most interesting bands that I have come across in a while.
Great dynamics and instrumentation, fun lyrics, great vocal harmonies.

check this album out for sure.