Team Ghost - Rituals

It may not be a total departure from what came before, but on their first full-length release Team Ghost certainly appear to be wearing the trappings of a more straightforward alternative rock band. There’s some pure indie pop indulgence too – namely ‘Curtains’, ‘Dead Film Star’ and ‘Montreuil’, with the latter so saccharine-sweet it wouldn’t have been out of place on the first Ladyhawke record. ‘Pleasures That Hurt’ on the other hand pulses with very du jour sub bass and once again expands the group’s sonic palette in unexpected directions.

There’s a nod to early fans in the shape of ‘All We Left Behind’, a slow-burning echo of ‘High Hopes’ with a similarly emphatic crescendo as well as motorik-teasing ‘Fireworks’, which again cranks up the volume and drama at its climax. The hypnotic and percussion-led ‘Things Are Sometimes Tragic’ counterpoints the more immediate rush of the poppier tracks and works with bookended drone sections like ‘Broken Devices’ and closer ‘We Won’t Fail’ to bring a decisive cohesiveness to the record. These subtle atmospherics linger throughout, discounting any idea that Team Ghost have really changed beyond their core obsessions – atmospherics, soundscaping and the dynamic effect that playing with the expectation of the former can have. That said, if you were expecting a post-rock album, you’ve come to the wrong place; this is something sharper, more accessible, sure, but no less clever.