Spanish music has been having a real boom as of late. From the breakthrough of Bad Bunny, J Balvin and the current regional Mexican music wave we’re currently seeing in the Billboard hit charts, it’s safe to say that a fondness for the Español is definitely here and I’m personally really happy about that. New music is being shared and loved all over the world and we are here for it.
For a new album in this vein to start the year, especially if you’d prefer a rock edge over a reggaeton one, may I recommend Memento Morí by Love Ghost?
Love Ghost’s Memento Morí isn’t just a “genre-bending” record. That phrase is far too polite. Memento Morí is a genre-warping experiment that makes a complete mockery of the idea that music should fit neatly into little labeled boxes. It takes alternative rock, emo trap, and Latin urban influences, smashes them together with reckless abandon, and somehow, instead of a total trainwreck, you get a deeply emotional soundscape that actually works. Imagine taking Peso Pluma, Junior H, Bring Me the Horizon, and even genre-chameleons like blackbear and Goody Grace in a music festival and losing your mind in the mosh pit.
Memento Morí seamlessly swings between high-energy trap-infused anthems and melancholic, guitar-driven ballads. It swings wildly between distorted guitars, synth-heavy trap beats, and melodic hooks with the kind of reckless abandon usually reserved for people who quit their job, dye their hair, and decide to move to another country on a whim.
Tracks like DECOY with Katsu Energy deliver the angst of early 2000s alt-rock with a contemporary twist, balancing raw, glitched-out vocals with anthemic melodies that could pass as a B-side from underscores’ Wallsocket album. Then there’s Cocaine Chronicles, an emo-trap banger that sounds like the younger brother of a blackbear track, featuring lines that feel very influenced by self-deprecating humor of various parts of the internet and finding resonance there. The Monster Inside with Plata Shail is downright ethereal in the best way possible. IMPOSTER with Young Aleexx and xkori stands tall as the album highlight, as it features the ruckus energy of the project the most, resulting in the tracks punk energy to shine through alongside a chorus that is reminiscent of blackbear’s knack for moody yet infectious melodies. All together, these moments showcase Love Ghost’s ability to blend heavy, emotionally charged storytelling with hooks that linger long after the track ends.
Lyrically, Memento Morí delves into themes of mortality, heartbreak, and the fleeting nature of human connection. The title itself—Latin for “Remember you must die”—sets the tone for an album that doesn’t shy away from introspection. On the contrary, one could argue it revels in it and finds solace in the fact that even in its darkest efforts, connections can come.
The album is drenched in existential dread, heartbreak, and the kind of deep emotional turmoil that makes you want to stare dramatically out a rain-streaked window, if not throw a rock at it just for sheer rage’s sake. There’s not really much in the way of subtlety here. No restraint. Just pure, undiluted feels.
But here’s the kicker: It’s bilingual existential dread. Love Ghost shifts between Spanish and English fluidly, not just for the sake of sounding cool (though, let’s be real, it does sound cool), but because it adds an extra layer of emotional depth.
Memento Morí isn’t just an album—it’s an experience. It’s chaotic, heartfelt, and genuinely ambitious in a way that few bands are willing to attempt anymore. Sure, it occasionally teeters on the edge of absolute musical bedlam, but that’s kind of the point. Love Ghost refuses to be easily pigeonholed into a category of sorts and in an era where algorithms love to put music into neat little playlists, that’s weirdly refreshing.
If you’re looking for an album that plays it safe, this isn’t for you. But if you want something unpredictable, deeply emotional, and borderline unhinged in the best possible way—Memento Morí is nueva musica that you will love.
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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.
