reviews: lonely ghosts, the young veins, the boy who trapped the sun

Lonely Ghosts - Return From the Search Party(***)

Despite the best efforts of day-glo horrorshow Brokencyde to taint the marriage of Chiptune-esque electronics and shrieked vocals in minds and ears forever, the combination remains theoretically sound. Lonely Ghosts offer proof of its continued legitimacy on Hush Up; despite shades of lyrical juvenility elsewhere (“When I was young I didn’t trust anyone who didn’t have any problems”), the electro-pulse/throaty scream mix raises neither bile nor giggles. Elsewhere, echoes of Johnny Foreigner in the artwork find further resonance in the tight riffs; Bloc Party (post-unanimously agreed ‘good’ period, pre-unanimously agreed ’bad’ period) are a recurring presence; while the Sega-Lucksmiths gentility of Glasgow Covered In Snow takes things far, far away from mosh and glow stick mish-mash territory. It’s a sound the NME might have excitedly built a tour around a few years back, and though it won’t change your life, it might make it that little bit more colourful.

Out Now

The Young Veins - Take A Vacation! (***)

If Pretty Odd’s prominent Beatles-isms felt like a, er, pretty odd change of direction for Panic! At The Disco, Take A Vacation! offers perspective. The Young Veins sees Panic frontman Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker leave OMG-emo behind entirely to focus more consistently on chilled-out, Sixties-influenced pop.

While reluctant to echo the band’s claims that such a sound is somehow more ‘mature’ than their former musical pursuits, Take A Vacation! does feel satisfyingly grown-up and no-nonsense: twenty-nine minutes of hooks and charm that’s only hampered by a slight air of artifice. Though pre-emptively paved by Pretty Odd, the road from Panic! At The Disco to Laid-back At The Beach Party risks resembling forced entry into fresh markets rather than a natural expression of the songwriters’ passions. But their debut’s successes disperse suspicions, and as the duo settle into their new, eyeliner-less musical identities, they can only grow more convincing.

Out Now


The Boy Who Trapped the Sun - Fireplace (***)

The Boy Who Trapped the Sun apparently chose his lengthy stage name because it felt “bigger and less lonely” than ‘Colin MacLeod’. While the pseudo-communal effect is somewhat undone by 1) his debut’s consistently forlorn atmosphere, and 2) MacLeod’s decision to play every instrument himself (bar occasional strings, used to great effect), its evocative qualities remain apt.

Such a clean and familiar sound – as polished and well-worn as its practitioners’ acoustic fret-boards – may limit opportunity for innovation, but innovation has never been the be-all and end-all. Other factors elevate Fireplace: its melancholic heart, its sincerity, and its maker’s voice for starters. So while not entirely unique – recommendation engines can comfortably slot this alongside Damien Rice without risking offence – it carries a level of conviction that allows the odd genre cliché to pass by practically unnoticed, and a level of promise that assuredly exceeds the average Buckley-indebted solo singer-songwriter.

Out 12th July