The Boys of Summer is transformed into a much darker, more industrial-heavy take on the Den Henley original. There is a much different take on this effort that allows no:carrier ample space to make the effort their own. Taken alongside California (originally from Belinda Carlisle), The Boys of Summer are able to introduce the act to a wide audience while the act’s talent allows them to create something wholly new. California is a track that possessing haunting vocals and deep, intricate arrangements that will stick with listeners long after the track has ceased.
Tony Carey’s Room With a View is a high-water mark for Ghosts of the West. The track would work perfectly in the eighties/New Romantic era with dreamy vocals, hard-hitting synths, and a percussion that will strike listeners to their core. no:carrier is able to make a shuffling, shambling dance hit in the vein of Roxy Music or Baltimora. While there has been much hay made of acts looking back into the eighties (Chromeo, Walk The Moon), no:carrier is able to walk the fine line of providing fans with an homage to the styles and forging out into a bold new area.
Ghosts of the West concludes with the classic She Moved Through the Fair, which Is given a new lease on life by no:carrier. The multiple vocal tracks ebb and flow to create numerous layers, while the expansive synths spread out over the track. The dichotomy between instrumental and vocal elements create an intricate effort that will require listeners to play the song multiple times before understanding everything that has been placed by no:carrier. Visit the act’s domain for more information and samples of their music.
Top Tracks: Room With a View, She Moved Through the Fair
Rating: 8.6/10
no:carrier Ghosts of the West CD Review / 2015 Self / 4 Tracks / http://www.nocarriermusic.com/ / http://www.facebook.com/nocarriermusic /