GHOSTS & MEMORIES

I seldom write reviews, but here I make an exception. To define Ghosts & Memories in a genre would be... Psychedelic Post-Rock, in my humble opinion. This hidden gem only claims 7 ratings so far, all of which are high. I noticed the great ratings with little reviews, so credit's due to Second Life Syndrome's break- down of this album. Because of which, I listened. There's a bit of Floydian in the soundscapes, but not enough to deem The Black Noodle Project clones of any sort. Hugely influenced by Post-Rock, the guitar builds on suspicious, eerie chords progressing towards its grand conclusion--relaxing, powerful, and hypnotic. The use of repetition only lures the listener deeper into the music, adding layers of instruments (whether it be floating keyboards, screaming guitar, or rhythmic drums) every cycle. For me, this was the first Black Noodle Project album I've heard and what a great start to this amazing French band.

As Second Life Syndrome said, 'They Live, We Sleep' is "a great representative of the whole album." 'They Live, We Sleep' is posted on Youtube, with a fantastic video representing the song. Footage of vintage companies including Pepsodent, Chevrolet, etc. leading up to the mighty guitar which can only be represented by real footage of an atomic bomb ripping through test-site households. With dreamy soundscapes leading to an exploding guitar, I can't compare this album to anything out there. This style should appeal to anyone, whether you like your instrumental music calm and collected, or manic and chaotic. Some moments reach such heights, you'll never forget the riff. After the song's over, after the album's over, you'll still remember these brilliantly-crafted, cloud-reaching riffs.

The only flaw keeping this album from perfection is how each song sounds similar. Overall, Ghosts & Memories plays out like one towering song. Sitting at 49 minutes, some listeners may not be patient enough to listen through its entirety. Only on a few occasions do we sample Black Noodle's vocals. This is merely used as another instrument, never focused on singing, which creates a cohesive sound throughout. With the atmosphere already laid out, the vocals only add to it. Once in a while, you may not even realize there's someone singing!