"BELONGING" by Ghosting Merit
Reviewed by: Lucas Kurmis, writer @kurmisthefrog
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, owner/editor @melodicnoisemedia
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Belonging?
What does it mean to belong? What if you don’t want to belong? Where do you place yourself among others? Ghosting Merit explore these concepts with grace and depth in their new album BELONGING.
From the Top
There’s a lot working well in BELONGING, and I think a lot of it is apparent from the very beginning. In the first track “Rescue Hound,” we hear vulnerable lyricism, icy, gritty, and cohesive instrumentation, and an incredibly clean mix that sounds distinct and unified.
In “Rescue Hound,” frontperson Syd Casey delivers honest outsider lyrics that show a distance from others: “I could drown you out / I’m a hurricane or a drought.” Ironically, I find lyrics like these relatable, and I think many could relate to the feeling of “laughing when it’s not appropriate” or finding themselves in their own sort of “Rescue Hound” situation, where they may feel hostility when others “get too close.”
(As an aside, there’s a really fun moment where the guitar screeches at the mention of “getting loud.” It catches you off guard at first, but becomes a head-banger when you know it’s coming.)
Who’s Who
I won’t point out all the performers in every band review, but much like in my Ditch Pigeon review, this album includes a real who’s who of collaborators and performers. As mentioned prior, this project is led by Syd Casey, who delivers as a singer, songwriter, and as a guitarist throughout the album. Syd plays several instruments throughout the album, with earworms like the synth line on “Guillotine” that stick in my head for days Speaking of my Ditch Pigeon review, Nathan “Honeypants” Johnston also plays bass on this album, as he does with several bands in the Twin Cities. Emma Garau of ¿WATCHES? plays drums with precision and emotion. Alex Schaaf of Yellow Ostrich plays several instruments. Alex Schaaf also mixes the album, with mastering from Nat Harvie, who has worked with several notable artists including Low. All of these elements come together to create an album that feels expansive, entirely unique to the band, and impressively consistent across instruments and songs.
The Sound
While I’ve described that the sound on this album is distinct and consistent, it doesn’t get at what makes it distinct and consistent. The sound is both gritty and clean in the right moments. Instruments have a lo-fi rasp, but at the same time it doesn’t sound lo-fi at all with how expansive and fitting the mix is. It’s the type of mix that feels just right. BELONGING is warm and it’s cold depending on the moment. Songs like “Branches” and “Infinite Spaces” are calm and warm. Songs like “Guillotine” bring the energy. Neither feel out of place. Lyrics are intimate or anxious or even ominous, or all of the above, depending on the song. The album maneuvers between all of this in a way that still sounds entirely consistent. This feels like an album that is important to Syd and important to the rest of the band. You can feel the emotion in big moments and in little details.
“Devour” Music Video
BELONGING also features a music video for the song “Devour,” which deserves some coverage as well. The music video opens with The Birdhaus’s iconic disco ball crossfaded into Syd’s guitar. We see shots of the band mixed with that disco ball and an intense close-up of Syd as they deliver the haunting and ominous but also vulnerable and intimate lyrics of the song. The video is also lo-fi, using the classic square aspect ratio and glitchy picture. What’s most notable is the intense use of blue and red throughout the video. Much of the scene is blue, but Syd is a striking red amidst the wash of blue. The blue fits the cool tone of the song (both “cool” as in “I like it” but more importantly “cool” as in “cold”) and the red keeps the focus on Syd and their lyricism. The video is simple and gives the viewer mental space to take in the lyrics and the soundscape. The lyrics are almost opposite “Rescue Hound.” They draw you in with an element of closeness, “I’ll be gentle,” and strike with descriptions of “cutting flesh” and “devouring you.” The soundscape is beautifully arranged as well, with Syd’s guitar leading the sound for Syd and Mary Traxler to harmonize over. There is also lush piano adorning the song, adding to the close but ominous feeling of the whole song.
Push and Pull
The runtime of the whole album is only 26 minutes, but it takes the listener on a journey throughout. Again, there’s a wide range of emotions, tones, styles, and sounds in that 26-minute run time, and again, all of it fits together. This album pulls you close and pushes you away. It explores connections and divisions. Overall, it’s a great addition to Ghosting Merit’s already impressive catalogue, and it marks a rich chapter in the band’s story.
Ghosting Merit is playing Seward Cafe at 9/13 with Drugstore Lipstick from New Orleans. You can find this album on all platforms, you can follow the band at @ghosting.merit on Instagram and you can find more about them through their website: ghostingmerit.com.
