The Ghost Is Dancing--The Ghost Is Dancing

A lot of power is needed to outmatch the roar of Niagara Falls. The Ghost Is Dancing faces this challenge head-on with eight (sometimes twelve) members ripping out orchestral indie to outmatch their hometown’s watery claim-to-fame. Their self-titled EP is the first release by this young group, and promises big things from the get-go. Advertised as "orchestral, dramatic indie pop," The Ghost Is Dancing certainly is orchestral, including strings on every track and horn parts on songs like "People." (An accordion from Gabrielle Nadeau makes an appearance as well, is this considered orchestral?) The addition of these instruments is only a subtle touch to support their mainstream indie approach, and included is a harsh edge of emotional angst that makes their music all the more juicy. Let me stress though, this release is simply impressive. Out of the five tracks you get a clear idea of just where this band is going, and that’s straight to the top, marching to the tune of "The City Waltz." More a march than a waltz, it features irresistibly scratchy guitar parts swinging circles around a core of aggressive-yet-withdrawn lyrics, ending with Celtic-like strings adding touches of classical conflict in the final climax. Whew. And this is their first release? "The Running Song," (great to run to) is fast-paced and well, racing. Quick clever lyrics speed down alleys of keyboards, accordions, and orchestral tid-bits (not to mention a killer bass beat). The Ghost Is Dancing is music that could certainly get the spirits on the dance floor. If this release proves scarce, be sure to look for their LP coming out in 2007- as corny as it sounds - this is not a band you want to miss.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)