Material: On a first listen to Love Ghost, the songs may come across as melodically and lyrically simple. However, “24-7” showcases fairly strong structure and melody, and “Girl Pusher,” as the opening song of the set, made for an engaging entrance. Both have a melodic charm that underground grunge sometimes lacks. Overall, the Love Ghost’s repertoire could use some TLC by means of arrangement and structure; spending a little extra time to add detail and delicacy would make their songs even more powerful.
Musicianship: Rhythm section Stevens and Young quickly locked into an immediate groove with all the grace of a much more seasoned band. Their performances were impressively tight and focused. Greene's viola made for a refreshing addition, and really took the band’s music in a unique direction that many rock bands can’t begin to tread. At times, Bell’s vocals faced slight pitch issues, but he excellently conveyed the emotion of each song. The lack of vocal finesse is not uncommon for the grunge genre, and will likely fix itself as the band grows and continues to perform.
Performance: After arriving on stage just over an hour after the promoted stage time (hey, that’s rock & roll right?) a raucous group of teen fans quickly opened a circle pit to enjoy the band’s set. Despite the energy of the crowd, the band seemed to struggle with the small size of the stage and, as a result, the energy of their set stayed rather low for its entirety. This issue was notably obvious during slower songs. Learning to maintain high energy on stage will help the band continue to captivate their audiences. It would have been especially notable to see more involvement from Greene (a la Sean Mackin perhaps?).
Summary: Love Ghost is a band to keep your eye on. They have many creative visual ideas, coupled with an aggressiveness that teenagers love. They’re a band that has a lot to say, and they’re finding their voice. For the band themselves: working on getting the songs in the right place, studying the greats of the genre, will help to push the envelope on what makes them unique. Love Ghost has a great foundation; now they need to build their empire.
Bootleg Theatre Los Angeles, CA
Contact: [email protected]
Web: loveghost.com
Players: Finnegan Bell, vocals, guitar, piano; Mya Greene, viola; Ryan Stevens, bass, vocals; Samson Young, drums
