The album is fairly short but substantial. Guitar and percussion loops, along with Jared’s unique vocal quality are what tie the songs together. However, each song still acts as an individual portal into the different capabilities and stylistic choices Must Be the Holy Ghost is capable of tapping into.

 

“Permanent Tar” starts off with vintage sounding drum and guitar loops. Background vocals then enter light and airy, while main vocals come in strong repeating one phrase: “no way there’s no way/ no way/ no way/ no way there’s no way.” While the song starts off carefree, like something you’d listen to while driving along a coastal highway with the sun setting behind you, it develops into a rich and layered work that uses words carefully and meaningfully to set a more emotionally driven piece. And then the song breaks down, leaving the listener with an angelic chorus of ah’s and a slow stuttering electronic beat.

 

This leads into the third track on the album, my personal favorite, “Shove My Feelings in the Couch.” It starts off with a psychedelic feel that then mixes and mingles with an alternative-rock sound. The guitar riffs and sweeping ooh’s in the vocal track ring reminiscent of Jeff Buckley’s music. But the raw quality of Jordan’s voice and smart use of electronic sound samples keep this song unique and modern.

 

The fourth track, “Undercover,” goes back to a style somewhat like that of “Permanent Tar” in the breeziness of its beginning. The guitar riff that starts off the track sounds like one you would find on an album by The XX. Again though, it’s the layering and vocal stylization that keeps this song true to the unique sound of Must Be the Holy Ghost. What’s great about every track, but this one in particular, is the use of background vocals. They create a chorus that adds depth to the song, they are treated as another instrument just as important as the main vocals, the guitar or any of the other instruments used by Must Be the Holy Ghost.

 

I live in a city where so many bands play on the same night, it can be hard to decide who to go see. If Must Be the Holy Ghost was playing though, I’d choose that show in a heartbeat. While there aren’t any shows coming up in my neck of the woods, Must Be the Holy Ghost will be playing throughout North Carolina all this month. For more information on the shows or links to download the music, checkout his website here or bandcamp here.