Oftentimes, religion is a practice that makes things a lot easier to manage, in that things become feasible from the scope of religion. Belief in a god or gods often translates to a belief in oneself, and as a person overcoming overwhelming odds, that sets one up for a path well-lit.
On their third album, CHURCH by “Emoacana” band Roam Like Ghosts creates an emotional journey of sorts by exploring themes of redemption, the indomitable spirit of resilience, and the idea of the human condition itself. In the span of ten tracks that compose of a sound that Roam Like Ghosts have been perfecting since their first effort “’Yesterday and the Day Before” and their second album ‘…to that place you call home’: an acoustic blend that blends together elements of alternative genres, indie music, folk stylings, and staples of classic Americana that has garnered them the calling cards of their sound being defined as “Emoacana” and have since refined it to such a way that this album breezes through a pace of its own melody, and a great melody if I can say so myself.
Roam like Ghosts manages to put together tracks of idyllic songs that present an optimistic look of sorts while highlighting the darkest moments one going through the throes of a daily life can go through if not careful— themes like struggles with addiction, the loss of a loved one or a person in close circles and one’s idea of self-discovery through routines and bell curves and wildcards thrown one’s way in this crazy world we call life.
The album starts with a pretty spellbinding note with Death and Me, a four-minute song that has a slight element of gospel harmonies, operatic showmanship and glam-rock earnestness as the band, for a lack of a better term, hams-up to the tune to deliver a cacophonous sound that feels like a precursory take of making the Emoacana equivalent of the anthemic Queen ballad Bohemian Rhapsody, and I say that in the best ways possible as the song progresses into an alternative rock jam with quotables like “Storm’s a brewin’ in the sky / If the boat keeps rocking, we’ll capsize / It’s got me itching beneath my skin / As we take another trip to the bargain bin” and “Oh lord, will it never end? / I try to let you go but you’re such a good friend / Your words sing so sweetly / Did I ever tell ya the story about death and me?” as well as “Tripping in my shoes, they don’t seem to fit / Guess I’ll just stay and deal with it / Momma, she didn’t raise no fool / But chasing you, kept me from school / Oh lord, will it never end? / Get cleaned up just to start back again / I’m on to you, you don’t think I see / Did I ever tell ya the story about death and me?” Moreover, the song truly blooms as the band hits hard with the refrain of “Oh, can you see the light, it’s on the other side, where everything will be alright” repeated like a mantra over and over until it sinks to one’s heart, and with the help of Dick Hodgin., who has worked with bands like Hootie & the Blowfish, Cravin’ Melon, Clay Aiken, Corrosion of Conformity, Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a few; this intro track sets the stage and a great starting point towards this ten-track odyssey.
Another personal favorite, Casual Conversations About Serious Situations prove well to be slow-paced barn-burners of their own right as it fills its runtime with a steady, foot-stomping tune as the band waxes poetically with lines like “Don’t want to preach / Don’t want to be the one / The one who tells you how to live – your life / You’ll never learn if you don’t make mistakes / Never love, if your heart never breaks / or see the world through someone else’s eyes” and “Can’t say what’s real / Won’t tell you, how to feel / The pain you have will hopefully fade – in time / Life can be – cruel and kind / Make you laugh and make you cry / don’t lock yourself away with the fear of next time” as well as a personal favorite that I would argue is worth hearing on its own: “Let’s agree to disagree / A difference in philosophies / As fitting as it may seem / Sometimes it makes us want to scream”
Other highlights for me include the trumpet riffs of Hasta Luego and the emo-ballad-coded Thumbelina, a 5-minute slow burner that captivates and earns its runtime the song soaks into more and more atmospheric stylings to compliment the deeply reflective themes explored around the titular character.
Third time’s another home run at the ballpark for Roam Like Ghosts, and whether you believe in a god or not, I highly encourage you to go to this CHURCH and hear the good word.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
