Phantasia - Ghost Stories LP

Pastels by candlelight, a spilled bottle, cigarettes burnt to the filter, the outline of a face being tanned by a flickering neon light, the vinyl debut from NYC's Phantasia is hard to get out of your head. A polytropos of black lace tinged beachfront kitsch melted together with the clever gloom of prime-era American indie, all topped by the wavering and haunting vocals of what could be likened to a baritone Siouxie Sioux. Elements of death rock, pure pop, punk, and rock and roll are all here fighting for space amongst lilting synths, reverb-soaked guitars, and muscular drumming. Recorded and mixed by Sasha Stroud, this captures both the spirit of their influences — the Feelies, Alaska y Dinarama, Bruce Springsteen, and Pylon — but holds nothing back in terms of what these songs are capable of sounding like in the 21st century. Each record comes in a jacket adorned with art by Phantasia's own Dylan Cameron.