The Ghosts

The End
Pocket Records

We have a confession to make: we’ve fallen in love with Alex Starling’s voice. God, it’s good. Other singers grumble and plod along in the dust while Starling flies as high as his namesake. His voice is as soft as the glasses of two old friends, clinked together.

Most of the time, it’s the best thing about The Ghosts. Every so often, the producers will layer it up and filter it to beef out a chorus. Then, it stops being good, and turns into The Bee Gees.

Fortunately, this doesn’t happen often, and for the most part The End is a rewarding listen. Starling’s bandmates craft a soundscape clearly rooted in the music of the 1980s, with plenty of synth work and muted percussion. If that sounds awful, don’t be put off: it’s a lot of fun, and comes off as both playful and nostalgic, which is a difficult trick to pull off. The Ghosts can thank Rayna Ferner for that – her work on the keys is just magic, and tracks like the Bond-theme-styled Everything Will Do shine brightly. We like this. A lot.

For more information and tour dates visit:

www.facebook.com/wearetheghosts

Rob Boffard