UK indie-goth outfit Ghost//Signals announce the release of their debut album, LIVES DEFINED BY WINTER SKIES. The Newcastle band, consisting of Rick, George, Eve, Jackson and Mark, fused their talents to create an ambitious, expansive sound.
The album, out now via Swiss Dark Nights. wavers between the energies of aggressive power pop (I BEAT MY DEMONS VIA DECISION) and introspective (TRAUMA TRAUMA TRAUMA‘s “Layla outro” interlude).
“I BEAT MY DEMONS VIA DECISION is essentially an account of having your own issues/mental health problems, but other people assuming themselves that they have the quick fix answers – or that you’re fully ‘healed’ because it suits their narrative/motivations,” says the band. “…Much like in boxing/competitive fighting, you can win via a judge decision, but the other fighter might still be completely standing upright, and will come for you another day.”
Watch the video for the single below:
The next track, “Hectoring,” is a warm sigh of uplifting guitars and vocals, and “Start Families Avoid Sh*t Parties.” continues the fusion of late 80s alternative rock with the contemporary indie sounds of the 2000s.
“A Bag For Death” propels forward with an underlying sense of melancholy mixed with the cadence of Jarvis Cocker via Pulp.
“English Fiction” evokes echoes of The Cure, as does “Kill The North,” which treads into the more fraught territory of post-punk acts like New Model Army.
“Trauma Trauma Trauma” is jangly, introspective, and wistfully bittersweet, and “Leave your Scares To Rot” is a song that vacillates between a shimmering dirge to a heartfelt anthem.
The album closes out with the epic title track, “Lives Defined By Winter Skies.” which bookends the album’s emotional themes perfectly, with its stunning guitar solo sweeping across the song like the wind against an icy landscape.
Listen below:
The overall sound of Ghost//Signals is impossible to pigeonhole: the anthemic style of Big Country comes through, as well as the emotional tides of The Maccabees and Spector.
They’ve supported bands such as Gene Loves Jezebel (Jay Aston), ACTORS, Empathy Test, My Vitriol, and Glasvegas. They don’t have the glum sounds of traditional goth, but their sombre subject matter does share the overall vibe.
LIVES DEFINED BY WINTER SKIES is out on all streaming platforms, CD and black vinyl.
For UK orders, go here
For outside-of-UK orders (due to Brexit), go here.
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