Ghastly City Sleep

Ghastly City Sleep (2007)

Brendan

Q: What do you get when members of City of Caterpillar and iAPESHIT! set aside their hardcore roots and start to play post-rock?

A: An amazingly average band known as Ghastly City Sleep.

Ghastly's self-titled debut album, in true post-rock fashion, contains only four songs, yet the album still clocks in at just under half an hour. Musically, they seem to have a large Sigur Rós influence, with soft vocals and great attention to how a single instrument can change the feeling for a song. This album shows that each member of the band is truly committed to producing the sound that they want, which is seen in that each member seems completely willing to remain in complete silence for minutes of a song before playing a relatively simple part. There is never a moment on this album where it feels like a single member is taking the lead or trying to show off.

However, this album does not come close to breaking new ground in the genre. I doubt Ghastly was trying to redefine post-rock, but the album just feels like it is a cookie cutter album that anyone with enough effects pedals could have written. There is also no portion of this debut album that is really all that catchy, so there is no part that really stays with you after you have listened to the record.

All in all, Ghastly City Sleep's self-titled record is an okay record which has high potential to receive compliments like, "This record is so good to fall asleep too!" and "I listen to this all the time while I am reading!"