August 26, 2022

Spirit Ghost - "No Future"


"No Future" is the new single from Spirit Ghost, the project by Alex Whitelaw, and features members of the dream-pop act Sasha and the Valentines.

Taking queues from peppy, acid-driven surf-rock and 2010's era indie-pop, "No Future" is a fun blitz of big hooks, catchy riffs, and a rumbling guitar solo that bursts at the seams of it's sub-three minute run time. It's something you'd have expected to come from LA's The Smell or Brooklyn's Glasslands a decade ago, but feels just as raw and of the moment now as it would've when those scenes were at their peaks.  Hitting right at the end of summer, it's a wild last wave to ride into the sunset and serves as a reminder that while the temperatures are still soaring, there's still some fun to be had out in the sun. There is a sense of urgency to it, but instead of a rush to the finish, it feels like the lead-up to a beach party where everyone is catching the vibe. Previously, Spirit Ghost was the work of Alex Whitelaw, but this new single is the first time others helped flesh out the track from a singular bedroom-pop project to a blown-out jam full of big sounds and a tidal wave of energy. From the group's press release:

“No Future” was written in the first month of the pandemic by Alex Whitelaw in a small closet in a shared room. It captures the feeling of pessimism as the beginning stages of the pandemic unfolded: official shows at festivals being canceled, plans to see family dashed, plans to play internationally being endlessly postponed, and seeing friends face to face a thing of the past. It details a protagonist who feels like all their hard work has been for nothing.

The hard work here doesn't feel wasted and instead suggests more high-impact energy to come and the lead-up to something exploding with endless possibilities. Shifting from a solo project to a full-band sound can be a risk, but here the payoff is tremendous and the future actually seems rather bright.

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