Review Summary: More 2000s emo worship for your woes
Your Ghost In Glass is a one man solo project based out of Los Angeles, CA which aims to recreate the raw intensity of 2000s post hardcore bands like Senses Fail and... mostly Senses Fail, if we're being honest. Cameron McBride's first EP under the Your Ghost In Glass moniker was almost a perfect recreation of the vibe that
Let It Enfold You brought to the world in 2004. It was honestly impressive how he managed to capture the pure essence of songwriting, guitar playing and vocal delivery which made Senses Fail's early material so raucous and heartfelt. Now with his debut full length, Cameron continues to pen his love letter to a bygone era of music which is held so deeply in many of our hearts, with varying degrees of success.
At it's core,
Drowning to Escape the Fire is a passionate and convincing resuscitation of emotional guitar driven music with a heart-on-your-sleeve approach to vocals and lyricism. It suffers a bit from a patchy DIY production job, but the fact that this was recorded by one person in a bedroom adds a bit of context and forgivability there. The programmed drums in particular are a bit of an obstacle to enjoyment. Despite providing the album with a solid infusion of energy, the hits are static and not mixed very well. On my first listen, I found the kick drum to be so loud and distracting that it actually made it hard to focus on the songs. It's a shame, because the guitar and vocal takes are so rich and organic, and the artificial drum tracks don't give them the support they deserve. I found these songs actually sounded the best when blasted out of my phone speaker, so your mileage may vary depending on your sound system. The whole thing is raw and imperfect, but underneath the flaws lies some seriously infectious song writing and attention grabbing hooks that will have your head bobbing in no time. Cameron's songwriting is at it's best when it's loud and in your face, with songs like "Pistol in a Pulpit", "Cellophane Veil", "Porcelain Heart" and "Don't Look at the Sky" being obvious highlights for their hurricane of dizzying riffs and intense vocal performances which are very reminiscent of a young Buddy Nielsen. On the flip side, "Hospice" is too barebones and mellow for it's own good, and songs like "Heaven in Flames" and the title track closer suffer heavily from out of place Owl City-esque synthesizers and awkward, religious-centered lyrics that miss the mark in their attempt to be ironic or thoughtful. Still, the pros far outweigh the cons here, as the good moments on this album are plentiful and offer a high level of emotional engagement.
If you're looking for something to scratch the itch that Senses Fail left behind in the mid 2000s, then
Drowning to Escape the Fire will make for a fun, 43 minute blast of nostalgia. Unfortunately, it's staying power is handicapped by a rough production job and a few unsavory songs that you might just want to remove from the playlist in order to maximize your enjoyment. Regardless, Your Ghost In Glass is an act to keep your eye on, because I believe with time, and perhaps a real drummer, the project will only improve.
