Society always celebrates the records that top the Billboard 200 album chart. Back of The Billboards is a Music Times weekly segment that looks at the opposite end: the new record that finished closest to the back of the Billboard 200 for the previous week. We hope to give a fighting chance to the bands you haven't heard of.
Week of 05/09/2014
WHO: The Ghost of A Saber Tooth Tiger
WHAT: Midnight Sun
SPOT: 182
It was a humorous coincidence that Midnight Sun by The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger (The GOAST) placed at no. 182 on last week's Billboard 200, as The Beatles 1 greatest hits compilation came in at no. 181. For those unfamiliar, GOAST is a project run by Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl. We won't try to argue that Midnight Sun rivals the incredible armory of singles featured on 1, but the former proves the younger Lennon is just as capable of crafting psychedelic classics as his father.
Midnight Sun comes out of the gate as a garage rock album, but openers "Too Deep" and "Animals" suggest the garage is full of a lot more than fuzzy guitars and a set of drums. Lennon and Muhl push the balance knob to its limits as synths, scratch and other sound effects travel across channels. It's a dense experience that requires multiple listens to tie it all together, like Where's Waldo? on record.
The second half of Sun takes a quieter route, lowering the levels of experimentation and adapting a folkier approach. It makes the second half an easier listen for those new to the group, but the first side is ultimately more rewarding. Still, the quieter nature allows for ear-catching moments such as the harp on "Don't Look Back Orpheus," as well as the album's most salient hook during "Poor Paul Getty."
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