Musée Mécanique — Hold This Ghost

It shows how long it's been since I wrote anything on Blogger that they've got a new post editor. Not that exciting really; kind of just WordPad (or TextEdit for you Apple-ites out there). Anyway, this isn't a software blog, so . . .

Another nugget I found at Collector's Records in Guildford, Hold This Ghost is a full-length album from an avant-garde indie-folk quintet from Portland, Oregon. Their place of origin doesn't surprise me in the slightest, as their sound is very reminiscent of that of The Decemberists, only less psychedelic, and more chilled out (harmoniums and glockenspiels rather than drums and electric guitars).

That's not to say it's in better or worse, and indeed it's a very enjoyable album. I especially like the opening track, as it is a rather lovely harmonium- and lo-fi drum machine-driven waltz. Although the rest of the album doesn't keep to that vibe, it is a solid, mellow album. It makes welcoming and non-intrusive background music too, which is fairly rare for this blog, let's face it.

j.r.