QuickTune: School of Seven Bells – Ghostory

Dream-pop and trip-hop fans, have we got an album for you! Indie duo School of Seven Bells, after seeing the departure of a founding member, released their third album this week, Ghostory. The nine-track, 45-minute album carries the vocals of Alejandra Deheza easily over ethereal and ambient wings, driven forward by artful, pulsing beats. A first listen from start to finish is mesmerizing enough that it took me a few test drives to pick out favorites [read our About to Break write-up on "The Night" over here].  Despite being down to two members, Deheza and guitarist/ producer/ mixer/ engineer Benjamin Curtis manage to pull off a full sound with the album with very little other than a studio drummer. While Ghostory is rumored to be a concept album, this isn’t blatantly apparent within any of the lyrical content; but perhaps the album is better enjoyed without that expectation in mind, anyway.  Tracks to check out immediately include “Low Times,” “Show Me Love,” and “Scavenger.”

-Michelle Thompson

Stream: “The Night” and “Lafaye”