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2011? What happened to the ‘90s?’ reads Pet Ghosts’ ambiguous Facebook biography. A good question and one which also turns out to be a fair estimation of this Manchester band’s sound and approach to song writing. Thick guitar riffs and lo-fi production push songs into grunge territory but carefully placed reverb and backing vocals hint at something altogether more delicate. Lead singer Rob Allen wonders whether we’re ready for a future that transfers ‘our minds to machines’ but is still happy to employ cryptic song titles (‘Just Get Better, Yeh?’) that are very much this side of the millennium. Despite all this disparity, Pet Ghosts (formerly Straystarstuff) manage to tame the Noughties and Nineties into an intriguing debut album. Home Records, released last month for free over Bandcamp, fuses intelligent awareness of what has passed with a sharp take on present trends.
Admittedly the album’s opening track, ‘Get A Room!’ does not at first show signs of intelligence; its main lyrical concern being the difficulties of getting up before two and outrunning bailiffs. But this is not living-for-the-weekend fodder. There’s an unsettling edge to the revolving guitar line which makes Allen’s demand: ‘Take me out, show me life’ sound like an aggressive homage to Morrissey’s famous plea: ‘Take me out tonight/Because I want to see people and I want to see life’.
Even the more passive songs without any shell of clever guitar work make an impact. ‘Wake Up’ showcases the full stretch of Allen’s aching vocals over a three ferocious chords and ‘I’m Yr Weather’ is anchored in Shoegaze fuzz to stop the song’s repeated hook, ‘I like what you gave to me/Somebody else’s dream’ from sounding too self-indulgent.
Pet Ghosts’ are far from seamless, indeed most of Home Records sounds as if it is coming apart at the seams. But when today’s advances in home recording software make it possible for even the most inexperienced bands to emerge with perfectly smooth production at the expense of real emotion, it’s refreshing to hear the rough edges of rock n roll again.
- Manchester Music Online
Discography
Home Records
Post Yourself To Me, Piece By Piece
Photos
Bio
Pet Ghosts are nothing to be scared of. In fact, this Mancunian trio may be the best thing that ever happened to you. We've all had enough of this style over substance nonsense flooding our senses, so it's really refreshing to have a band come along who can just embrace the pure joy of rock n' roll without fretting over what the cool-o-meter is reading, don't you think?
Impeccable sound comes from impeccable taste as Pet Ghosts' record collection favours the likes of The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, Pavement and Weezer. The warm fuzzy guitar-driven music of bands like these filter into the Pet Ghosts sound whilst picking up some gorgeous pop sentimentalities on the way. Latest single 'Post Yourself To Me, Piece By Piece', financed by the generous donations of friends and staff at Manchester Academy, is a sublime debut. Bursting full of distorted melody smothered in their trademark deliciously lo fi DIY scuzziness, dirty rock meets funk laced bass in a thrashing, kicking infectious bundle. It seems so fitting that the birth of this noisy little gift was celebrated with a suitably wild house party- it's what this band are all about.
Sounding like something that brings together The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster with indie misfits Forward Russia, Pet Ghosts should be the only new band you check out any time soon. With the single available on iTunes, bandcamp, Piccadilly Records, Action Records and Vinyl Exchange, you can also look forward to seeing them live this October as they head out on tour. Expect great things.
www.petghosts.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/petghostsband
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