A Ghostly Debut
Just in time for the dreariness of darkened fall days and winter nights comes Sleepwalking, a haunting and ethereal debut album from The Casket Girls. Formed as a side project of Black Moth Super Rainbow’s Ryan Graveface along with two vocalists he literally met on the street, the trio have crafted an eclectic mix of cacophonous synths and ghostly harmonies.
The album’s opener, “Walking on a Wire,” is not only the record’s most alluring track but it sets the stage for The Casket Girls’ brand of expansive dark synths and angelic harmonies. “The Visitor,” a harmonized spoken word layered with soothing, yet creepy vibrations, sounds as though a ghost is beckoning you to come stay with her forever. This is due to the lyrics delving into a childhood spent in a haunted house in addition to singers’ Elsa and Phaedra sounding like a musical version of the twins from The Shining.
Sleepwalking doesn’t solely take place in the cemetery however. At their most upbeat, The Casket Girls come across as a spookier version of Passion Pit, of Montreal, or even Frou Frou. This influence is most apparent on the songs “Heartless,” and “You Never Know.”
Sleepwalking is a strong debut coming from a band that is unafraid to experiment with darker styles and themes. It has a melancholy that makes it great background music if you’re writing a novel or painting a masterpiece. The Casket Girls are also able to pull off up-tempo tunes flawlessly all while keeping their trademark ghost appeal. This is a band that would be exciting to see live.
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