We Have A Ghost - We Have A Ghost

We Have  A Ghost

We Have A Ghost
Bleeding Light Records; 2013

4.2 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

We Have A Ghost is a band that likes to flirt with the darker side of things. On their exceptional debut self-titled album We Have a Ghost released by Bleeding Light Records they sound like a mixture between old school NIN, Holy Other and Tim Hecker. It is mostly an instrumental album that seamlessly combines organic and electronic elements. They use a wide palette of sounds but manage to effortlessly make the album sound cohesive. The delightfully ominous cloud is what binds these songs together 

They kick off the record with a percussively heavy song entitled “The Secret.” I was thoroughly immersed in the way they combined the glitch-like drum kit with a rolling snare. A piano melody sits on top on the percussion while various atmospheric sounds come in and out of existence. The second song “Computerrok” combines a hard hitting industrial beat with a fuzzed out synth/bass which can’t help but draw comparisons to ‘90s NIN but also contemporary electronic artist such as Burial. It’s the type of song that you can imagine a crowd shaking their fists to in unison.

“Electric Blanket” is the first track on the record that introduces vocals. On paper the vocal style sounds undesirable but given the context of the music it works perfectly. The vocals are monotone and stoic-like as if no emotion is being felt while they're being delivered. The music is atmospheric with a hard-hitting electronic beat.  

The arguable highlight and most accessible track is the prolific “Walk Away.” The group combines synth bass with a steady drumbeat and very welcome guitars. Lyrically, the song is melancholic but musically the band creates uplifting and even hopeful melodies. 

They close with a haunting song called “Sleepy Cells.” It’s an appropriate name because there is a dreamlike quality to the music. As it progresses jagged chainsaw-like effects scratch and claw their way in the sonic landscape.

 We Have A Ghost’s debut album is dark, eclectic and pretty fantastic.

official website

record label

Tweet