In many ways The Kestrels’ are the quintessential indie garage band. Riding the line between overdriven garage rock and shoegaze, A Ghost History is a formulated album based upon fuzz-guitars, melancholic vocals/lyrics, and lo-fi drum sounds. The Kestrels come out strong with “Drowning Girl,” an upbeat rocker with feedback ridden guitar riffs and washy vocals. It sets a strong tone for the remainder of the album, which recycles many of the songs’ melodic tricks – quick pauses, thick guitars solos, and intermittent sing along sections. “There All The Time Without You” is one of the album’s strongest tracks – a catchy chorus intertwined with unexpected twists helps bring the album out of its haze and into uplifting territory. Meanwhile, “Lose,” the album’s most unique track, is a touching ballad that appropriately preludes the album’s epic closer, “The Past Rests.”
Unfortunately, A Ghost History is weakened by its length and mix. The fuzz-guitar and feedback drones are worn thin by the halfway mark, and tend to bury and distract from Chad Peck’s vocal melodies, most of which are very clever and catchy. Although this is a common trick used in this genre, it ends up hindering the songs’ potential at times. A Ghost History is a solid record, but the band seems to have purposely hidden some of its greatest strengths. It’s well worth checking out — it has plenty of depth that can grow on a listener — but is difficult to listen from start to finish. I hear they have a wicked live show, and I believe it; I’m hoping to see them live before forming a final opinion. (No Yes Records, noyesrecords.com) Matt Austman