Track of the Day: Ghost Frog – Straight Jacket
For almost eight years (give or take), US-based rockers Ghost Frog have been sharing their eclectic sound with the masses. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the foursome merges post-punk, punk, grunge and doom metal resulting in, well, spookily awesome. Inspired by sci-fi films and literature, they describe their music as “paranormal stoner punk with a retrofuturistic brand of heavy, nebulous noise”. We choose to introduce you to this exciting group with their single ‘Straight Jacket’.
Taken off Ghost Frog’s well-received album Astral Arcade, ‘Straight Jacket’ is an ear-splitting explosion of pounding drums, powerful guitars and spacy synths. The frenzied melody may not necessarily be called soothing, but Ghost Frog find a flowing harmony between crazy instrumentation and brash vocals. From the first few distorted notes, you find yourself hurled into a surreal swirl of eccentric sounds…and it isn’t just the kaleidoscopic noise that will have your hair standing on end.
Inspired by conspiracy theories, ‘Straight Jacket’ could be called a song for people who wear tinfoil on their heads to avoid alien rays; however, it is so much more. Yes, the protagonist is “searching for the truth”, but amidst the alien cover-ups, Ghost Frog delves into the world of censorship. Exploring global secret societies and government cover-ups, Ghost Frog pulls you down the rabbit hole to a heady world of paranoia. Thing is, while we’re talking about conspiracies the ultimate message is being stripped of freedom of speech or “strapped into a straight jacket”.
What I find particularly intriguing is how ‘Straight Jacket’ is chaotic and crazy but with an underlying quiet intensity. It is as if you are running about screaming, but know there is a steady darker force at play in the depths of your soul.
For more from Ghost Frog check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
