Ghostland Observatory
Paparazzi Lightning
Trashy Moped Records [2006]
Ghostland Observatory are part of a growing wave of bands fusing synthesizers with rock. A little electro-clash and a little post-punk drive Paparazzi Lightning. Do you dance? Do you rock? Do you just sway? The answer is: all of the above. Ghostland does a solid job of blending those impulses into a cohesive, high-energy album. This is the duo’s second release in under a year, with frontman Aaron Behrens and producer/drummer Thomas Turner ripping through 35 minutes of tightly constructed synth-punk.
There’s no filler here—no ambient interludes or slow-build experiments. Just track after track of rhythmic drive and swagger. Behrens delivers each vocal line with high-octane force, while Turner provides everything from robotic backing vocals on “Vibrate” to the rollicking piano that opens “Piano Man.” Simply put, there’s enough voltage in Paparazzi Lightning to blow the doors off. If you don’t invite Ghostland Observatory in, they’ll kick their way through anyway.
KEY TRACKS
“Sad Sad City” / “Piano Man” / “Ghetto Magnet”
ARTISTS WITH SIMILAR FIRE
Brainiac / The Faint / Daft Punk
A lifelong fan of new music—spent the '90s working in a record store and producing alternative video shows. In the 2000s, that passion shifted online with blogging, diving headfirst into the indie scene and always on the lookout for the next great release. Still here, still listening, and still sharing the best of what’s new.
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
- Christopher Anthonyhttps://thefirenote.com/author/canthony/
