Ghost Beach

Ghost Beach is a fairly new band, they were formed in 2013 in Brooklyn, New York; mainly circling the talents of Josh Ocean, who does vocals, bass, and synths; and Eric Mendelson, who does guitars, synths, and samplers. The duo claim to draw inspiration from the 80's, and this is reflected in the music they produce. They cite Peter Gabriel, the Police, and Talking Heads as influences. Fun fact: their name was drawn from a 1994 episode of Goosebumps. They have released two EPs, Modern Tongue, and Miracle, which came before their recent debut full-length album, Blonde. Since then, they picked up speed, attracting the attention of many DJ's, and giving the band many remixes, which they published with different remix albums. 

Out of all of the songs that appear on Blonde, my favourites would have to be Miracle, Been There Before, and Close Enough. They all have really nice hooks in them that make you stay interested, and the overall sound makes you want to get up and dance. Ghost Beach claims to be "tropical grit pop", and while the term sounds pretty abstract, I think that if you think about it, you realise it's true. They do breathe that 80's vibe with their guitar riffs and background electronic slow-burn. Ocean's voice is also very 80's-esque, and I think the combination of the two really makes the band shine. The music is spontaneous, and generally fun. Sometimes I'm against all the electronic club thing that can sometimes occur in bands with a lot of synth, but in this case, it works. It's on the verge of club music, but the guitar saves it and turns it into more indie-rock instead. Also, another key factor: there's hardly any bass. In a lot of these songs, you literally cannot find a lot of background base. In fact, I went so far as to remove all but bass in Garageband, and my thoughts were proven correct. There is some in bridges occasionally, but it's a rarity. This is an extremely smart play by Ocean and Mendelson. This is the saving grace, in my opinion. It turns potential club music into wonderful indie rock hits. Well done, boys. 

Check out their website: http://ghostbeachmusic.com

Check out some of their music: http://ghostbeachmusic.com/music

{for week of 10/3}