My parents had this thing they would do in the middle of the long hot summers. Every Sunday was a “surprise” road trip adventure. For a long time, I didn’t think these experiences were special or unique, but as I grew to find that my friends didn’t have these sorts of breaks amidst their breaks, there’s a new sheen upon the memories of those long days I had wished for lazing in a sunroom with a book, but was instead thrust into the back of my father’s Camry to look at a flea market on the other side of the mountains, or a statue someone built out of coffee cans in the north. You might be asking what this has to do with an EP I was asked to review, and trust me, it has everything to do with it.
There’s something undeniably nostalgic about the latest release from Tyler Costolo’s Ghost Fan Club. Maybe it’s the lo-fi, slowcore melodies that harken back to the lazy Sunday afternoons of my childhood—those moments when the world seemed to slow down as the music from my parents' car stereo filled the air, making the backseat of our car a place of endless possibility during long road trips. As I listen to Ghost Fan Club’s self-titled EP, especially the standout track "Now and Then," I’m transported back to those days, staring out the window, not particularly eager to reach our destination because the journey itself felt just right.
Released by Knifepunch Records, this EP marks a poignant moment in Costolo’s career, one
that has seen him oscillate between various musical personas, from the introspective bedroom pop of his earlier works to the heavier, metal-inspired sounds under his Two Meters moniker. This latest project, however, finds him diving deep into the realms of depression, grief, and the unsettling sense of time slipping through our fingers—a theme that resonates profoundly within the achingly beautiful tracks of the EP.
"Now and Then" emerges as a lo-fi rock anthem, a mysterious jam session that might remind one of a cross between Duster and Modest Mouse, with its introspective melodies and Costolo’s woozy vocals. It’s a track that feels like a reflection on moments missed and the transient joys of life, echoing the sentiment of being "happy now and then, but at least I pretend," a line that captures the bittersweet essence of reminiscing about a past that wasn’t always as perfect as memory might suggest.
This EP is a journey through Costolo’s turbulent life phases, crafted during a time of major personal upheaval. I'm not going to say it's a roadtrip, because that would be too on the nose, but it's also not wrong- from the charming simplicity of "Please" with its ticking drum machine and meandering keys, to the somber tones of "Shoulders," where the weight of existence bears down in every note, each track delves into the raw emotions of its creator. And with the addition of drummer Tom Morris, there’s a fresh dynamism to the music, elevating the Ghost Fan Club’s sound to new heights.
For anyone who’s ever felt lost in the shuffle of life, or found themselves reflecting on the roads traveled with a mix of nostalgia and regret, Ghost Fan Club’s EP offers a resonant soundtrack. It’s a musical exploration of instability and the fleeting nature of time, wrapped in melodies that are as contemplative as they are captivating.