Ghosts of the Great Lakes "Erasing You" Review

Within minutes of playing Ghosts of the Great Lakes’ latest release, “Erasing You,” for the first time, there’s a moment that might startle you, might haunt you, and will almost certainly give you chills: when the ferocious guitar riff on the title track stomps on the ambient whispers of  its instrumental predecessor “Coral,” it says just one thing: Ghosts of the Great Lakes is back.
     Over a year after their debut, “The Death of the Party,” the Kalamazoo four-piece-- known for their vintage-glam aesthetic almost as much as their sullen hard-rock-- returned with an album showcasing the influence of the band’s two new members (drummer Jesse Blankenship and bassist Ben Bojanich) while maintaining its signature blend of pensive, melodic verses and rampant choruses ignited by vocalist Benny West’s primal howl.
     The title track best exemplifies the band’s evolution: the mix of classic Ghosts sound, with the sensibility of mainstream rock of Jimmy Eat World, AFI and Incubus, “Erasing You” does not disappoint. From there, Ghosts forge ahead into esoteric, albeit familiar territory, with imagery of substance abuse, death, abandonment, memories of a tormented youth, and-- of course-- fashion (“Cause I feel more/ wrapped in Dior,” West croons at one point). The subject matter provokes the nagging feeling that not only would some songs fit in just fine on their debut (Hiding in Plain Sight) but some are downright disturbing with familiarity (for example, Speed of Night soundalike The Chelsea).
     While these might incite suspicions that Ghosts have rested on the laurels of the success of their debut, not only does some material dive to depths previously unexplored by Ghosts-- for example, the wrist-slittingly dark track “Monster,” built around West half-whispering, half-growling “cause I’m a bad kid, a bad kid”-- but some conquers new musical territory, almost to the point of an entire new persona for the band, most effectively on the addictive dance-rock gem “In Case You’re Wondering.” This conquest comes full-circle at the climactic end of the album, “Armed to the Teeth,” which features a galloping guitar melody that detonates into a tremendously powerful chorus. 
     With sullen introspection, anthemic hard-rock, and unexpected exploration of their “upbeat” side, “Erasing You” is the journey that “Death of the Party” wanted to be, giving listeners the indulgent melodrama that we have learned to crave from Ghosts of the Great Lakes, but this time, with heart-stopping energy, raw power, and even a reason to dance.