Monday, May 11, 2009

Glass Ghost's PHYSICAL EP



I was impressed the first time I saw Eliot Krimsky and Mike Johnson play a late night set at Bar Matchless in Brooklyn, although I was fatigued and only really took away that Eliot was a really talented keyboardist with a unique sound. My more astute partner had a reserve of wits remaining, and as a result was much more appropriately excited about Glass Ghost. Some 6 months later, I remember a great show at Goodbye Blue Monday, which caught me up. Sitting outside afterward, I was in such a contemplative haze that I nearly wasn't frightened when a man walking his bike, his nose recently bloodied, dribbled past us like a zombie, his gaze fixed at some point far off, perhaps where he wished to be.

The band's live show is impressive; Eliot has a very commanding stage presence, despite being soft-spoken and slightly reticent in person. His refusing to put me on the mailing list (is there a mailing list?) has left me a little in the dark about what has gone down since that scary Blue Monday gig and the release of PHYSICAL, but I gather that GG have been playing and recording. The 4 songs from PHYSICAL are enchanting and very astute. "Mechanical Life" beats a quiet warning into the listener by lulling him/her with an extremely tragic theme. The song is subtle, but the images of daily distraction and the mundane movements of men is sort of chilling, especially when at moments the veil is lifted. "Like A Diamond" is slow and repetitive, with the narrator expressing his own resignation about being characterized certain ways; it's a very melodic statement about the limits of language and our tendency to reduce our thoughts. All four tracks are really great - well worth a close listen.



Glass Ghost are currently recording a full length record, to be released in October on Western Vinyl. I can't wait to hear it. In the meantime, you can get the "PHYSICAL" EP (with hand-painted cover) from their myspace page to tide you over.
"Mechanical Life" by Glass Ghost Download mp3 (with permission)

They will be playing the following upcoming NYC dates:

May 23 7:00P - Highline Ballroom w/ Motel Motel and We are Country Mice
Jun 10 8:00P - Death By Audio
Jun 13 8:00P - Northside Festival @ Trophy bar
Jun 17 8:00P - Public Assembly w/ Emile Simon

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