The smooth indie-pop stylings of Ghost Cousin are of the Field Music and Belle & Sebastian varieties, lush and tender with just a touch of angular ferocity that helps build patient hooks and establish a sleepily entrancing setting, much like the locales shown on the cover of Ghost Cousin’s full-length debut Scotland, out on August 21st. It’s easy to become fond of opening track “Breakfast and Tea”, where chirpy guitar bursts envelop over caressing woodwind pads and clicking percussion. Wordless “ah-ooh”ing reminds of recent Afro-pop varieties, one of several stylistic configurations touched on throughout Scotland. There is soulful, Simon & Garfunkel-inspired vocal layering on the haunting “Healed Eyes”, while “Auntie Ann” integrates reminds heavily of Field Music with its integration of quick guitar swipes and elaborate classical-inspired orchestration. Scotland is a truly pleasurable debut from this talented Canadian group, who cite Steely Dan, Brian Eno, Fleet Foxes, and Grizzly Bear as points of comparison. Listen to Scotland in its entirety below:
