IN REVIEW: Big Wreck - "Ghosts"

Big Wreck's third album, and first following a decade-plus hiatus, was a welcome surprise. Though a bit timid overall, Albatross was an enjoyable listen and a worthwhile addition to the band's discography. It would have been far too easy for Big Wreck to take the pat on the back, smile and wave one more time and quietly retreat; if Ghosts tells us anything, it's that this band has no intention of such boring, predictable things.

Ghosts is home to a host of unexpected moves, and it doesn't waste time turning heads. A Place To Call Home winds itself up slowly over its introductory two minutes, coming on like a particularly moody Alice In Chains track before locking into a fuzzed out groove and riding it on a wave of blood for the other five and a half; it's a far sight more menacing than what they've had to offer in the past, and it's a curious way to start an album to say the least.

The tempo picks up for I Digress, a slinky and heavy track that brightens up for its chorus, taking us back to more familiar territory and giving a passing nod to past hits like That Song. It's followed by the title track and lead single, along with its slowly unfurling, pulsating groove; as underwhelmed as I was on my first couple spins of the track, it is a grower and sounds better here, in the context of the album and in its unedited form (here stretching out over six minutes).

My Life is yet another detour, featuring a stabbing piano and a thundering beat in addition to an earworm-inducing hook; it's the kind of track that's probably a little too off-kilter to become a hit, especially with its short but screaming guitar solo. It's a great song just the same, and I would personally love to see it do some chart damage.

Then, the real fun begins; Hey Mama arrives with a Zeppelinesque acoustic groove, a la Gallows Pole, while Ian Thornley delivers a particularly impassioned vocal performance. When the song kicks in, it's not content just to throw some drums on it. It contorts through laid back easy grooves and elastic, ecstatic blues riffs, bouncing around from one adventure to the next over the course of its six-plus minutes. It honestly does no good for me to try and explain this one, you just have to crank it up and take the journey with them.

Around this point, you realize not only that you've spent about a half hour being dragged through all these emotions and styles, but that the album isn't even half over yet. As Ghosts plays on, it continues to add new textures and colours; the shuffling, vaguely tribal sway of Diamonds, the glam swagger of Friends (what I'd like to describe as Zeppelin's Dancing Days on a cocktail of LSD and Red Bull), the dreamlike, dark new wave of Still Here, and the snappy Police-like Come What May.

Admittedly, though it's great to hear Big Wreck throwing all of these influences down on tape, Ghosts isn't issue free. The most obvious criticism I have for it is that it doesn't always achieve the grandiosity it strives for; a few tracks tend to aim just a bit past the limits of their usefulness or end in earnest long before the track time ticks off. The worst offender here is Still Here, which ends itself with a three minute passage that finds the same basic wordless rhythm more or less running in place.

There's also the issue of the second half being far less exciting than the first. It's a much more straightforward batch of tunes compared to the first and while they're not bad songs, they perhaps feel worse than they are due to the album's incredibly strong start; plus, it's hard enough to maintain interest over a 70 minute period in this day and age without putting all the really interesting stuff in the first half. It's almost like the B-side doesn't even get a fair chance to succeed. I know Big Wreck wouldn't wish that on their songs, it just kind of feels that way here.

All told, Ghosts is an inevitably uneven record, but can't be faulted for that when it boasts such an embarrassment of riches stylistically. It reaches just a little too far, and I can't help but think scaling a couple of tracks back and slightly rearranging the sequence would have livened up a couple perceived dead spots. Still, if Albatross was a reminder that they were still capable of making good music, Ghosts and its abundance of ideas should serve as a reassurance that they intend on eschewing good in favour of great.

June 10, 2014 • Anthem/Warner

Highlights I Digress • My Life • Hey Mama