by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Austin, TX’s Spirit Ghost have a new EP along the way, but before the band get there they’re sharing some new singles, the first of which being “Matt Demon.” Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Alex Whitelaw (who, full disclosure, contributes to this site), guitarist/bassist Tim Zoidis, and drummer Billy Hickey, the band are following up 2018’s Skeleton Surf Rider with a batch of recordings produced by Holiday Music’s Mike Hlady. If you’re unfamiliar with Spirit Ghost, “Matt Demon” is as good an introduction to the band as any.
Their latest single is a fuzzy garage-pop song that’s built on a acoustic progression with a jangly rhythm that suits them well. The band have a knack for adding a swooning sort of surf pop into their sound, everything feels like it could potentially be melting on the sidewalk or drifting out into the ocean. For a song about “coming to terms with your fears and paranoia,” there is a lot of sun shining down on it. There’s a vibrant pop simplicity that’s backed with big hooks and bigger reverb, the kind that sticks in your mind. The video’s stark black and white is a great contrast to the song’s bright melody, giving us a new paranoia mantra to embrace, “if it’s true, what do you do, if it’s true, what’s the use?”