Ghost: In Stormy Nights

If the starry-eyed American psychedelic bands of last century saw what their movement had fostered across the Pacific in Japan, they might be a little frightened. A band like Acid Mothers Temple might scare them square, while even a more subdued, earthy group like Ghost would seem unusually alien.

Their “springer” (a spinning apparatus of metal springs and light), an instrument of their own invention, is enough to discomfort most people. But what’s most interesting about In Stormy Nights (Drag City) is that the 30-minute, formless, ambient, free-improvisational soundscape isn’t tedious. In fact, it’s quite impressive.

“Hemicyclic Anthelion” asks for a lot of patience and time, but rewards listeners with a journey of creaking, ambiguous sounds and unexpected bursts of creativity. For fans of the unexpected, this is a very invigorating experience. Those who aren’t comfortable with letting go of conventional song forms might become disoriented.

Unfortunately, the more restrained songs on In Stormy Nights tend to be boring. “Water Door Yellow Gate” and “Gareki No Toshi” are mindlessly repetitive. Luckily, a cover of the Cromagnon’s “Caledonia” swoops in with bagpipes, and gives the album a needed boost. In Stormy Nights isn’t a perfect record, but Ghost manages to balance the quantity of misses with the quality of hits.

- Michael Patrick Brady
Ghost (Drag City)