Strutting a post-punk sound that excels in both momentum-filled builds and ardent immediacy, Radio Fantasma is the memorable new full-length from Mother Ghost, a Houston-based project comprising brothers Oscar and Thomas Flores. The release is produced by aCr, an artist who is also on the Geodesic Records label, alongside Mother Ghost. “We have loved having the time to focus in the studio, allowing us to experiment and discover the right sound for each song,” the brothers explain. “Radio Fantasma is about the anxieties of everyday life and the things that help us get through to the next day. Most of the lyrics on the album come from our personal life, a news story, or social grievance.”
A foreboding vocal leads into arp-friendly synths and post-punk guitar maneuvers on “Talk Slow,” a dynamic opener that sets Radio Fantasma into enjoyable motion. The “walking late at night” lyrical scene-setting proves apt, compelling within a darkly stylish intrigue with shades of The Cure in the booming bass, vocal tone, and guitar/synth interplay. “Dead Inside” follows with a more excitable charisma. Clanging piano and thick bass reverberations swell into a sensual synth-touched hook: “I wanna just what you taste like. I wanna feel it from the inside.” Mother Ghost unveil a personality-packed, melodic sound throughout, and “Dead Inside” is of particular note.
A multitude of other highlights show throughout, as well. “Bury Me Loose” fully embraces a swift post-punk bass propulsion, set amidst pit-pattering percussive energy as vocals unveil a brooding composure. “The doctor swears I’m not dead,” they snarl, beckoning that “everything falls apart, before you even start,” — and capturing a sense of personal tumult with savvy captivation. Album finale “Rat King” is another notable showcase of the band’s eclectic chops, moving with consistent bass and sporadic guitar twangs within a more ardent rock escalation. Radio Fantasma is a consistently rewarding success of an album from Mother Ghost.
—
“Dead Inside” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
