- Buy a CD or a vinyl record, get a $1 Amazon MP3 Credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer. Here's how (restrictions apply)
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Editorial Reviews
From the Artist
"Everyone has ghosts", says Alejandra Deheza; "They're every love you've ever had, every hurt, every betrayal, every heartbreak. They follow you, stay with you." This detailed storytelling is evident from start to finish on the record, weaving a tale that moves between a fervent synthesized adventure and spacious lyrical euphoria.
"Ghostory is our most collaborative music to date," describes Benjamin Curtis, "Alley (Alejandra) and I have always written our music together, but always independently and on our own time. We knew we wanted to do something that was more sensual and spontaneous than anything we had ever done before, and that meant writing together in a room, coming up with ideas quickly and immediately reacting to what the other person was doing." Within Ghostory, the story of both Lafaye's and the band's journey will be told.
Product Description
2012 release from the acclaimed Indie outfit. Recorded in-between tours, Ghostory exemplifies a fervent progression of SVIIB's growth as artists, preserving the common themes found on their last two releases but exposing them in different fashions. The familiar ethereal and enigmatic tones are omnipresent, surrounded by layers of influences from `80s Pop, Shoegaze and Ambient Electronic sounds. However, Ghostory comes with a story in mind; the tale of a young girl named Lafaye and the ghosts that surround her life. Ghostory is truly their defining work, beautifully crafted and haunting, with the story of Lafaye permeating the psyche long after the music stops.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The concept surrounding Ghostory is flimsy at best - the running narrative of a girl named Lafaye and all the ghosts that one would expect to surround a girl with such a Victorian name. The loss of Claudia Deheza robs School of Seven Bells of one of their most distinctive characteristics, the angelic, unearthly harmonizing between Claudia and twin sister Alejandra. Yet Ghostory, the band's third record and their first as a duo, is uncommonly strong and surefooted, a remarkable transformation of their gossamer-thin dream pop into something vigorous and visceral. Where 2010's lackluster Disconnect from Desire was all style and little substance, Ghostory is surprisingly forceful and direct in its message, one that melds almost seamlessly the sublime drone of My Bloody Valentine with the nostalgia of M83. It's dreamy and hopelessly untethered from straightforward pop, like School of Seven Bells have always been, yet for the first time Ghostory sounds like the work of an organic, spontaneous band, rather than the determined sculptors of hypnotic, icy shoegaze they had seemed content to remain.
Ghostory carries with it connotations of magic and spirituality, and if there's an ideal word to describe Alejandra Deheza's vocals, a good place to start would be "otherworldly." Hers is a voice that prefers to soar rather than coo, speeding along through a storm of synths or layering on top of itself many times over, a more ethereal Florence Welch or a druggier Natasha Khan. At times it seems fragile, like on the soft, sprawling "Reappear," shimmering above waves of reverb, but that's an illusion - Deheza has never sounded as confident yet so tempestuous, more in touch with what she's singing than ever before. School of Seven Bells have always tended to focus on the trees rather than the forest - as a result, the music they crafted was, more often than not, opulent but uncomfortably empty, something beautiful that could be admired but never touched. Opener "The Night" swiftly puts that notion to sleep: "our meeting lit a fuse in my heart / devoured me, devoured me," Deheza sings, and it's lovely and airy, as she always is, yet there's a passion and a sensuality here that has been hard to find with this band.
The music seems effortless, which is an accomplishment in itself given just how complicated School of Seven Bells makes things. There's a veritable blizzard of effects here, washing tones out while they brighten others, coalescing in misty bursts of guitar and mesmerizing drum attacks, a steady, mutating bass line bubbling constantly underneath. Benjamin Curtis' former work as a member of The Secret Machines informs every aspect of the production here - that space-rock trio specialized in widescreen, full surround sound operas, the proggiest of the prog. That love of expanse, of wide open sound filling every space and constant shifts into lulls and crescendos, is what defines Ghostory. Deheza's vocals are the driving force, of course, but the way Curtis makes the music dive into your headphones - at points rolling to an ecstatic high on the frantic "White Wind," at others reducing things to a narcotic lull on "Show Me Love" - is pure feeling. There's a heavy goth influence on things here, even as sparkling and lush as the production gets, and the drone of Cocteau Twins and the haunting new wave of Siouxsie and the Banshees, not to mention the hazy landscapes of My Bloody Valentine, are much in evidence throughout. Atmosphere is the priority here, yet it's a testament to Curtis' work and Deheza's renewed fire that the songs on Ghostory stand well enough on their own. "The Night" might be the best track the duo have penned to date, concise by their own standards yet voluminous in its sound, with a hook that is as compelling as any in the band's catalog. "Lafaye," meanwhile, is haunting and vaguely foreboding; its melody calls to mind Florence's "What The Water Gave Me," but its chorus and the unexpected tonal shift are, simply put, enchanting.
It's hard to explain what kind of emotions these songs engender, and I can imagine it will be different for everyone - that's the beauty of this kind of dreamy canvas, where the words are much less important than the spirit of the vocals and the nebulous music. There's the general ghost story conceit, of course, but that's as much a smokescreen as it is a real narrative. At times I hear Alejandra talking to her twin, and there's loss and regret, while at others, most noticeably the triumphant closer "When You Sing," there is a simple catharsis, the culmination of a relentless drum pattern and a blizzard of instruments, not the least of which is Deheza's vocals spinning wondrously out into a psychedelic haze. It reminds me a bit of M83's latest, where lyrics were second to the vital, intense feelings the music offered up. It's also incredibly hard to pin down without resorting to an embarrassing array of adjectives and metaphors. Dream pop, goth, shoegaze - call it what you want, but what School of Seven Bells have ended up with is a genuinely gorgeous record by any standard.
Ghostory carries with it connotations of magic and spirituality, and if there's an ideal word to describe Alejandra Deheza's vocals, a good place to start would be "otherworldly." Hers is a voice that prefers to soar rather than coo, speeding along through a storm of synths or layering on top of itself many times over, a more ethereal Florence Welch or a druggier Natasha Khan. At times it seems fragile, like on the soft, sprawling "Reappear," shimmering above waves of reverb, but that's an illusion - Deheza has never sounded as confident yet so tempestuous, more in touch with what she's singing than ever before. School of Seven Bells have always tended to focus on the trees rather than the forest - as a result, the music they crafted was, more often than not, opulent but uncomfortably empty, something beautiful that could be admired but never touched. Opener "The Night" swiftly puts that notion to sleep: "our meeting lit a fuse in my heart / devoured me, devoured me," Deheza sings, and it's lovely and airy, as she always is, yet there's a passion and a sensuality here that has been hard to find with this band.
The music seems effortless, which is an accomplishment in itself given just how complicated School of Seven Bells makes things. There's a veritable blizzard of effects here, washing tones out while they brighten others, coalescing in misty bursts of guitar and mesmerizing drum attacks, a steady, mutating bass line bubbling constantly underneath. Benjamin Curtis' former work as a member of The Secret Machines informs every aspect of the production here - that space-rock trio specialized in widescreen, full surround sound operas, the proggiest of the prog. That love of expanse, of wide open sound filling every space and constant shifts into lulls and crescendos, is what defines Ghostory. Deheza's vocals are the driving force, of course, but the way Curtis makes the music dive into your headphones - at points rolling to an ecstatic high on the frantic "White Wind," at others reducing things to a narcotic lull on "Show Me Love" - is pure feeling. There's a heavy goth influence on things here, even as sparkling and lush as the production gets, and the drone of Cocteau Twins and the haunting new wave of Siouxsie and the Banshees, not to mention the hazy landscapes of My Bloody Valentine, are much in evidence throughout. Atmosphere is the priority here, yet it's a testament to Curtis' work and Deheza's renewed fire that the songs on Ghostory stand well enough on their own. "The Night" might be the best track the duo have penned to date, concise by their own standards yet voluminous in its sound, with a hook that is as compelling as any in the band's catalog. "Lafaye," meanwhile, is haunting and vaguely foreboding; its melody calls to mind Florence's "What The Water Gave Me," but its chorus and the unexpected tonal shift are, simply put, enchanting.
It's hard to explain what kind of emotions these songs engender, and I can imagine it will be different for everyone - that's the beauty of this kind of dreamy canvas, where the words are much less important than the spirit of the vocals and the nebulous music. There's the general ghost story conceit, of course, but that's as much a smokescreen as it is a real narrative. At times I hear Alejandra talking to her twin, and there's loss and regret, while at others, most noticeably the triumphant closer "When You Sing," there is a simple catharsis, the culmination of a relentless drum pattern and a blizzard of instruments, not the least of which is Deheza's vocals spinning wondrously out into a psychedelic haze. It reminds me a bit of M83's latest, where lyrics were second to the vital, intense feelings the music offered up. It's also incredibly hard to pin down without resorting to an embarrassing array of adjectives and metaphors. Dream pop, goth, shoegaze - call it what you want, but what School of Seven Bells have ended up with is a genuinely gorgeous record by any standard.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A. Wathen
Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an extremely great listen and I recommend it highly.
The marriage of lilting, trip-hop vocals and complex, beat-driven grooves that School of Seven Bells brings to the table is refined to a new level in this, their third album.
Ghostory is decidedly better than the bulk of Disconnect from Desire, their second album that was somewhat lackluster. It's also more focused than their tremendously well-produced eclectic first album, Alpinisms. I don't know that I would call it better, as they are largely different animals, but it's definitely just as good, in my book.
Every track is extremely listenable, yet also haunting and complex. If your musical tastes are somewhat off the beaten path, you should definitely pick this up.
The marriage of lilting, trip-hop vocals and complex, beat-driven grooves that School of Seven Bells brings to the table is refined to a new level in this, their third album.
Ghostory is decidedly better than the bulk of Disconnect from Desire, their second album that was somewhat lackluster. It's also more focused than their tremendously well-produced eclectic first album, Alpinisms. I don't know that I would call it better, as they are largely different animals, but it's definitely just as good, in my book.
Every track is extremely listenable, yet also haunting and complex. If your musical tastes are somewhat off the beaten path, you should definitely pick this up.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By John
Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase
When Claudia Deheza left the band in 2010, I worried for the future of this band. The harmonies in Alpinisms were what stood the band out from most others. There are times listening to Ghostory that I think could have been even better had the band stayed intact but Alejandra has a flawless voice of her own and it does carry the album. Ghostory is an improvement over Disconnect from Desire but not quite up to the level of Alpinisms
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
It's amazing to be the broad appeal of the album's sound. I play this a lot in the car with friends and family. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Brian
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Value
Great Music at a Great Value. You can't go wrong with a purchase of this collection. Delightful music at a bargain price.
Published 7 months ago by James
4.0 out of 5 stars
Three Albums From The School of Seven Bells
School of Seven Bells was originally a triad composed of Benjamin Curtis and twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mark Eremite
5.0 out of 5 stars
very good
If you like, Enya, Enigma, etc. please sample this album and enjoy. Hope you all like it as well as I do. Had never heard her/them before had to have the album. Read more
Published 12 months ago by AJ
5.0 out of 5 stars
More a review of their show than this album in particular.
Although I should say Ghostory is very good. If you're a fan of ethereal, gauzy, shoe-gazey stuff, well I reckon you already like this band. Read more
Published 13 months ago by AaronNoir
5.0 out of 5 stars
Soaring and exciting
My favorite songs, "The Night", "Scavenger", and the big finale, "When You Sing", typify the soaring vocals and immense wall-to-wall sound that make this album so exciting to... Read more
Published 13 months ago by T. Dimock
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasantly surprised
If you bought the first 2 cds you may as well buy this one. The Deheza twins are gone but the last song is right up there with there best stuff. Read more
Published 14 months ago by B F
