By Anthony Newes

Husband and wife duo, Ghost in the Water, has finally released their long-awaited debut album Tooth. The band tends to fall under the electronic, indie-pop genre of sorts. The music on Tooth is based around the sounds of synthesizers, samplers, guitars and husband/wife vocal harmonies, which, I might add, are quite beautiful. Underneath many of these songs you’re also likely to hear daydream-like chimes dancing around like children on a playground. The duo works together nicely, and, for the most part, I really like them.

Message to female vocalist: Dear Mandy, your voice is really nice, especially on that song “Cardinal Red.” When most of the music drops out and you sing by yourself, I’m reminded of that band Frente. Remember them from the ‘90s? Yeah, you sound just like her. You sound really innocent and beautiful. And that song you guys call “A Nightmare,” where it’s mostly you, you know which one I’m talking about? Yeah, that one, your lyrics are so melancholy and Bjork-esque on it, especially the way you enunciate the lyrics so precisely. For example, when you sing “…because all of its contents are extremely difficult to put back in,” yeah, that reminds me of Bjork a shitload. I really dig it; very innocent but confident at the same time.

Message to male vocalist: Dear Nathan, you’ve got a great voice too! You really do a really swell job at harmonizing. Not too loud, not too soft. It’s really clear that the two of you work together nicely. The only thing is, Nathan, are you from Britain? I wasn’t exactly sure. Like on that song “The Campfire,” I really got the impression you were from Britain. Forgive me if you really are, but if you aren’t, you might not want to sing that way. It can be really distracting. As I mentioned up there (a paragraph or two up there), you really have a fantastic singing voice. You’re a natural. I really mean that. Trust yourself and give yourself more credit. Get rid of the accent and utilize the one you were born with.

Here’s the best track on the record: “Magic Wand.” Mandy’s vocals are so gentle and comforting that more than once I thought about taking a nap during it. Seriously, I did, and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for those pesky dynamics you two so wittingly make the most of.

www.myspace.com/ghostinthewater
www.ghostinthewater.com

Filed under: Music Reviews