Love Ghost – Love Ghost x Skold
LA-based act Love Ghost is one of the most perfectly-named acts I’ve ever come across. Colloquially known as Finnegan Seeker Bell, he’s been making music since he was barely double-digits, cutting his teeth (and probably losing them simultaneously) at backyard gigs, small venues, and anywhere else that would have him. It’s led to this point in his journey – a collaborative, 13-song LP called Love Ghost x Skold (LGXS). Full of dark alt rock that slaps heavily of mid-aughts emo, Bell, alongside Tim Skold (who co-wrote all the songs and music on the album), tackles heavy topics, like death, witchcraft, and war with a dagger-wielding hand that cuts straight to the bone.
LGXS opens with a mysterious intro before launching into “Nightshade and Cocaine” – here, we’re first introduced to the hallmarks of LGXS’ sound. A tape-aged piano taps out haunting chords before a trap-inspired smattering of electronics creep out of your speakers. Don’t be fooled by Bell’s youthful delivery – he drops lines like “reloading my 12 gauge before the curtains hit the stage.” A chuggy, alt-rock guitar hammers the chorus into your ears – “Nightshade and cocaine, take another shot till there’s no pain.” Huge, anthemic guitars feel like they swallow you whole as Bell sings his morbid lyrics about witchcraft in his veins and not wanting to die unless there’s pain involved. If Bell/Skold were aiming for “doom and gloom,” mission accomplished.
As a Buffalo, NY-based blog, we’re of course drawn to track three, “Great White Buffalo.” Squelchy, EDM-inspired synths whir and warp beneath stabs of ska-inspired guitar. Bell sings in a rap-rock affect, spitting lyrics about downing Percocet and “taking his tea with some milk and some heroin.” Underneath the shocking poetry, there’s an insane blend of genres happening – twanging guitars are washed away by spooky synth leads and booming bass. Bell and Skold are clearly not afraid to experiment instrumentally in these songs, but they all add up to their shared vision of darkness.
Next to “Nightshade,” “Ski Mask” may be the album’s highlight, with its creepy piano line and industrial-inspired delivery. “Nobody moves and nobody gets hurt, it started bad and it’s gonna get worse in the end” sings Bell, further set off by the ski-mask laden gangster vibes found in the music video embedded below. Love Ghost and Skold, swimming in cash and performing live, is certainly a vibe, and brings an excellent visual accompaniment to this all-encompassing album. “Payback” gets a runner-up nod – the duo’s songwriting and production is at it’s best here, all the way from the phased-out guitar intro to the wry, sour chords that pummel you in the chorus.
There’s lots to dig into on a 13-song album, but Bell/Skold make sure to keep things interesting throughout LGXS. Like “Payback,” “The Heavy Weight” is an excellently-written song that juxtaposes a longing, almost pretty-sounding chorus with evil bass thuds and lyrical firebombs like asking if “you’re ready to go to hell.” “Level Up” sounds like Marilyn Manson’s crushing ’90s discography and may be the most straightforward, guitar-driven instrumental on the album. Bell/Skold even find a way to sneak a slow-jam into the album (if you can call it that), with the slow pulse of “You Are The Gun (Valhalla)…” But just be ready for a murder confession regardless.
Love Ghost x Skold is available now (November 22, 2024). Check it out on Spotify – you can also find all the different ways to support Love Ghost via this helpful link.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna