Living Like Ghosts - Treading Water

Not really falling into one fully labeled category through the four songs contained on Treading Water, Living Like Ghosts keep an impressive amount of energy sustained through said tracks while gracefully moving from section to section without much of a snag. Sometimes they boast crunching, yet tight punk rock, while other times their buzzing guitars teeter on the edge of powerpop – all without sounding like a complete mess.

When opener "Disconnect" kicks into gear, it shows an uncharacteristic songwriting flaw, as the jagged rhythms punch a bit too awkwardly to really hit us in the jaw. However, the track picks up with pulsing guitars and solid kit work, all playing a great backdrop to the smooth vocal lines of the chorus. "Catacomb" follows this with a slow start that leads to the catchy, yet buzzing chord concoctions of the chorus, showing LLG's ability to stay flexible without sounding completely out of place. Think powerpop with more bite than bark, but minus the neon clothes and unneeded band members.

The relentless nature of "Lighthouse" is apparent from the moment we hear any vocals on this track. Keeping the pace with a fast backbeat on the drums, this song doesn't just hum along on a simple punk beat with grinding powerchords as we get plenty of well-placed twists and turns along the way. It mellows out for a moment near the end though, killing most of the built up energy in the process. Closing the collection is "Accolade", which features an approvable amount of chunky guitar work and some impressive vocal melodies throughout the track. It follows an on/off pattern in terms of how much instrumentation is used and how aggresive the guitars and drums are, which seems a bit out of place compared to the quirks placed throughout the other tracks. Still, it is a fitting closer to a quite pleasing EP.

Besides showing promise from a band still in their younger years, Treading Water is also absolutely free. So even if you are unsure about what you'll think about these tracks, you really don't have an excuse but to give it a try. If they can work out the kinks, I think you'll be seeing plenty more of Living Like Ghosts in the future – in Detroit and beyond.

Living Like Ghosts
Treading Water
Self-released
B