It’s Monday. I’m drained. It’s only Monday and I’m drained. The pandemic keeps hitting closer and closer to home which has been raising my anxiety to an astronomical level. I’ve been on edge all day and just haven’t been able to shake it. I’ve tried everything from cooking to cleaning to even debating putting up my Channukah Christmas tree (don’t ask) but nothing has calmed me down (and, let’s be honest, it’s too early to put a tree up) so here I am, sitting at my desk, hoping that some new music will do the trick. The pressure is all on Sorry Ghost and their ‘The Morning After’ album.
A smile stretched across my face as soon as “Bumper Cars” took over my speakers. With a guitar tone like Teenage Bottlerocket and an infectious beat like any great early 2000’s pop-punk band, I was instantly in love. The vocals come in with a sense of care and emotion while being full of energy. I instantly had flashbacks of the days where I was sporting hot pink hair and safety pins in my lips because my parents weren’t okay with the idea of my getting my lips pierced (joke’s on them– I’m not a 31 year old with snakebites). The carefree nature of the beat of this song was exactly what I needed to shake the anxiety that had been plaguing me all day.
“Nosedive” was an instant favorite of mine. The beginning of this track had clear nods to bands like All Time Low while the chorus had a sense of style and creativity that sets Sorry Ghost apart from the others. I honestly got a bit lost in this track and, before I knew it, “Right at the Start” had taken over my house. I can not stress the amount of nostalgia this album brings while feeling modern and fresh. This song is a great example of that. Although it reminded me of a million bands of years gone by, there’s not a single band that I could compare this track to because it’s so distinct and so Sorry Ghost.
I’m a sucker for angst so I instantly fell in love with “Best Intentions”. Although the beat is still purely pop-punk, the lyrics and vocal styling bring a more emo vibe to the forefront. Although the volume stays steady throughout this track, you can feel the rise and fall in emotion which is a magical thing to be able to convey in a recording. Just when I was getting lost in my own emotions, “Condescending came in with a dancey beat that instantly had me looking for the closest cat to grab and dance with. I love that this song splits the difference between “Best Intentions” and the previous tracks. The lyrics are a bit raw and painful but the infectious beat keeps this track from feeling as somber and emo as “Best Intentions” (although I struggle to call that one somber– just can’t think of a better word right now).
“Foundation” slows things down and brings a sense of warmth with it. Not quite a ballad but a ballad-like song for a band like Sorry Ghost, there’s a sense of beauty in this track that reminded me of the songs that accompanied my breakup with my high-school sweetheart. Yeah, so this song hit me right in the feels and I was more than ready for “New Hampshire” to take over my speakers. “New Hampshire” brought a sense of aggression that I absolutely love from this band. It’s not in your face or even angry but you can feel a sense of force with every ord and each beat.
I was a little disappointed as “New Hampshire” ended and the acoustic styling of “Ampersands” took over but then I felt the beauty behind the acoustic-ness of “Ampersands”. The previous tracks were loud and fast and pure pop-punk but this track gave you a chance to truly marvel at the talent behind this band and the versatility of the band. The transition into “Morning Glory” was smooth and I almost missed it until the drums came in and brought back the sense of angst heard in some of the previous tracks. This was the perfect track to follow “Ampersands” and come before “Triangles”.
“Triangles” was an instant favorite of mine. “Wish my mind/ It weren’t so overactive/ And all these thoughts/ They could be retracted”. I mean, if those words weren’t written for me… okay, I know they weren’t written for me but they fit my day so perfectly. Honestly, this could have been the last track on the album and I would have been more than content but Sorry Ghost had one more track up their sleeve.
“Five Minute Drive” closes off this album perfectly. in the way of so many pop-punk bands before them, this last track sees to be the most sensitive and, well frankly, beautiful. Although this beauty can be heard throughout the previous tracks, the amount of conviction heard in this final track had me stunned. It’s not that I think this band lacks conviction, more the majority of the other songs had this happy-go-lucky vibe to them. This track still has an infectious beat but the words and the wailing guitar just bring a feeling of, well, feelings, that ends this album perfectly.
There was a lot of pressure on this album to help me get out of my funk and it definitely did that and then some. What a great album full of nostalgia, new sounds, and heart.
My Favorite Track(s): “Nose Dive”; “New Hampshire”; “Triangles”
For Fans Of: Pop-Punk; Angst; Nostalgia
Mosh-ability: 7 out of 10
What My Cats Thought Of It: Both cats hid from me. I assume they knew they would be tuck dancing with me if they got too close
How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 8.5 out of 10
My Overall Rating: 8.4 out of 10
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Check out ‘The Morning After’ HERE!
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