Dear listeners and readers of Soundville,

Today we’re going to listen to and enjoy the self-titled album from the collaboration Love Ghost x SKOLD. The founder of Love Ghost, Finnegan, has been in the industry since the age of 10, and his history of touring across continents and participating in events like Rockpalast or the FFF festival in Ecuador proves that Love Ghost is more than just a local phenomenon. The rise of Love Ghost is a testament to their ability to connect with audiences everywhere, whether on the stages of Los Angeles or venues in Mexico City. However, Love Ghost is open to cooperation and collaborations, and that’s how their new album ‘Love Ghost x SKOLD’ came to be. The new release is a hypnotic emocore sound, an uncompromising work covering themes of trauma, mental health, and the chaos of the modern world. The album explores everything: from personal introspection to metaphysical questions about life, death, and the afterlife, even delving into political and social commentary. And you know, all of this resonates through dark gothic, alt-rock, and emo tones that create a new space for reflection and enjoyment of a cool sound. I like that in a world increasingly dominated by polished, risk-averse music, Love Ghost stands out as a reminder that vulnerability and experimentation still have a place in the industry, and sometimes you have to take risks to be noticed.

I assure you, you’ll feel like you’ve touched something cool, as if it’s a forbidden fruit, from the first two tracks ‘Intro’ and ‘Nightshade and Cocaine.’ The brief ‘Intro’ sets you in a new space, posing questions that allow you to tune into the sound. I feel like I’ve found myself in a dimmed cyberpunk city, somewhere on the lower levels where only the noise of engines, drafts in pipes, and the smell of oil mixed with metal exist. Then, in ‘Nightshade and Cocaine,’ anxious keyboards build up the atmosphere, and the slow vocals create a cool, groovy mood. The arrangement accelerates, intensifying the dark atmosphere. The powerful lyrics immediately stick to the soul, evoking a sense of anxiety. I like how emocore blends with alt-rock and heavy guitars in the chorus. It’s powerful and cool.

Then the atmosphere cools down, offering a gloomy hypnosis. This is especially captivating in ‘You Are the Gun (Valhalla)’. The vocals over a melancholic arrangement, where keyboards, dark pads, strings, and industrial ambient between beats merge in harmony. This track with a strong message sticks in the mind, emphasizing the atmosphere and gloom of the overall tone of ‘Love Ghost x SKOLD’. Already in the next track, ‘Cemetery’, the melody accelerates, picks up tempo, and the high strings pierce the consciousness, as if icy shards scratch hot skin. I like the light hip-hop influences here. Stylish pads merge, offering a light respite with hope for light in the excellent lyrics.

The second part of the release is more melancholic, slow, and filled with reflections, as in ‘Spacedust’. After tracks rich in instruments and electronics, ‘Spacedust’ sounds almost airy and minimalistic. The vocals acquire a pop sound, with cool vocal hooks. I like how in this track the atmosphere changes so much that it’s like a shock, revealing Love Ghost x SKOLD from a new side, more intimate, gentle, and contemplative. However, already in the next track, ‘Hold On’, anxiety returns in the arrangement. The groovy rhythm, an ideal experiment in sound, gives goosebumps, causing a feeling of anticipation and intrigue. And it happens in the chorus. It is at this moment that you want to turn up the volume to the maximum and just sing along to ‘Hold On’, and send everything to hell.

I adore the haziness of the vocals in ‘The Heavy Weight’ and the sharp beat with which they merge, creating a state of complete dissolution in sound. Heavy guitars roar, and the vocals turn into a scream, creating a feeling of hopeless striving. Here, heavy chords burn out hope, merging genres and an almost metallic sound. Impeccable energy! The next track, ‘Payback,’ begins with soft rock guitars. An absolutely commercial track due to the cool vocals sticks in the mind, displacing thoughts. A dense beat, like the pulse of the track, holds the melody, which in the chorus ignites an unbridled rock sound, and the rough sound resembles crazy grunge tracks.

The release concludes with the experimental ‘Less Than Zero,’ featuring a broken rhythm, unique structure, and hazy vocals dissolving into echoes. It’s a cool track where the band’s experimental side fully unfolds, striving to bare all their feelings and thoughts. ‘Love Ghost x SKOLD’ reminds me of an exposed wire sparking with unstoppable energy. I love how the final song seems to loop the album, creating a sense of completeness in both melody and lyrics. You felt it too, right? Whew, that was a cool album that will sound absolutely stunning at live shows! Be sure to follow the band so you don’t miss a performance in your city.

Hey Love Ghost! Thank you for making such awesome music. The album is simply impeccable, filled with energy, meaning, and an amazing dark sound. I adore your style and the excellent mix of genres that, in your performance, becomes something electric and completely unstoppable. There’s so much energy, meaning, and flawless production in ‘Love Ghost x SKOLD’ that you want to keep the album on repeat. Probably, your live performances have incredible energy. I want to experience it! Heh. I’ll definitely show your album to everyone so they can also enjoy the excellent sound! I love it and want more!

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With much love,
Soundville