The dreamy electronic trio turned duo that makes up School Of Seven Bells are at it again with their third album, Ghostory. Despite its name, “The Night” starts the disc off on a bright note with Alejandra Deheza’s haunting angelic voice over a synthtastic bed provided by Benjamin Curtis. No strangers to performing, they met while their band opened up for Interpol and have been producing catchy yet mesmerizing tracks since. Although Ghostory has very soft and subtle songs, what the album doesn’t lack is passion and fun, dancey beats. “Layfe” is one of the more blatantly obvious upbeat songs on the disc.
“Low Times” has a bassier and more of a rock feel, at least in the beginning. As the long track goes on, which clocks in a bit over six and a half minutes, it obtains a darker, electronic sound. I wouldn’t say it’s industrial, but it certainly isn’t the up-tempo beats that I heard just cuts before. “Scavenger” blasts the disc with attitude and easily became a favorite. The drums in “White Wind” makes the number sound like it is directly out of a classic arcade racing game and the robotic tone of the phrase “white wind” contrasted against the carefreeness of Deheza’s voice makes for cool effect. Ghostory ends with “When You Sing,” the longest track on the disc. The lo-fi vocals and grungy guitars make for a perfect ending to a tireless album.
School Of Seven Bells easily won me over with Ghostory. There wasn’t a point where Benjamin Curtis’ beats got boring or redundant or Alejandra Deheza’s vocals got whiny, which is how I feel about most female vocalists in this particular genre.
In A Word: Fantastic
