Ghost Estates, it has to be said, are owed substantial credit for turning me on to the Irish music scene. While the first vinyl album I ever bought was Daft Punk’s disco-centric ‘Random Access Memories’, the second – Ghost Estates’ self-titled gem, is what had me turn my attention on what Irish acts were offering.
Knowing next to nothing about the artists, I judged this book entirely by its cover and picked up the 2012 release for €15 in Tower Records. This was back when they were still on Wicklow Street and I was just moving beyond a prolonged stint of listening exclusively to one form or another of metal.
While you’ll still find a few copies of ‘Ghost Estates’ here and there, they’re not as easy to pick up as they once were. It’s also highly unlikely that anymore will surface as unfortunately, following a lineup change dropping the band’s ranks from five down to four, things appear to have petered out and Ghost Estates are no more.
What they’ve left behind though, is a beautifully produced record which keeps you locked in from start to finish – bar the flipping the vinyl bit of course. There’s some heavy use of synths and loops which are accented by jangly guitars and chorused vocals for a big, expansive sound. The result is a wave of noise which wells up and crashes right into your ears, leaving you humming along from the first listen.
Standout tracks include October, Sea Shanty and Forever or Never. Close your eyes, pop this on and relax, you’ve earned it.
Ghost Estates
Self Titled
2012
C&P Slap in the Face Records
€15, Tower Records
Digital Download: No
Side 1 – Intro, October, Sea Shanty, Wake Up, Paris, Never Forget
Side 2 – Waiting for You, Winters Day, Popsong, Forever or Never
With the vinyl revival on the up, ‘One from the Crate’ highlights releases from the Irish artists putting out their stuff on black and white. Many of these releases are self-published or are put out through small independent labels and can be hard to find. There’s no list to work off, just lucky finds in Dublin’s record shops. Think there’s something we should take a look at? Let us know. Email sean@toastyoak.ie.
- Seán O’Reilly, Editor Volume 29
[This article originally appeared in Vol. 29, Issue 2 published September 29th 2015]
