Review Summary: Is this album better than starry cat? No. Is it better than anything Sam Ray has released since starry cat? Yes. Thanks for keeping genuine bedroom pop alive, ghost orchard.
I became a fan of this album in a backwards way; I was looking for new music to listen to and decided to see what one of my favorite cassette labels, Orchid Tapes, had been releasing lately. I streamed "lavender" and decided its ethereal atmosphere, strummed guitars and bittersweet lyrics were just what the bedroom-pop-fervid doctor had ordered. I quickly deducted $10 from my debit card to pay for the cassette and shipping. Keep in mind, I hadn't bothered to listen to the rest of the album until I received the tape. Upon first listen, I was confused. Why did "enough" sound like it had toy sirens speeding and slowing pace semi-randomly throughout its runtime? Was "separate" just a demo Deerhunter recorded while they were all drunk? "4th of july" changed my mind. It's a perfect song containing imagination-inspiring lyrics, catchy synth lines and soft-but-somehow-pounding drums and guitar. "sorry" is another one of my favorites-- here, Mr. Orchard chooses to utilize a snare drum the way a drummer typically would a hi-hat. This subtle piece of songwriting propels the song forward, although it barely needs it among its tear-jerking guitar riffs and vocals. At only 28 minutes (a few of which are "experimental" BS, on tracks "wisher" and "wonder") this album is quite a listen. Ghost Orchard manages to cover a lot of ground here, especially on my favorite track, "sleepover". The 3-and-a-half minute beauty plays ambiance for about 2 minutes before kicking into a wave of glockenspiels and guitars, fronted by lyrics about sleeping in the pouring rain in a parking lot. After a few listens, I was already enjoying the tracks that first confused me, and had caught onto the the nuances of the album that nobody would recognize were there after just one play-through. Buy this album however you like, no matter what I recommend that you do; it may also become your temporary favorite to click on.
