We Have Ghosts – You.Know.Want (2025)
Self-described as “…whatever makes the floor shake”, We Have Ghosts is a chaotic crash of insanity rocking you from pillar to post with reckless abandon. A drag back a few decades, the UK-based group bind the brash abruptness of punk with the heaviness of grunge and rock: a bold crash of mosh-pit-perfect… well, floor shaking. This is my introduction to We Have Ghosts, and I’ll admit I took a couple of breaths before I was prepared to hear their discography. It’s not bad, just unexpected rawness and grit. Join me as I delve into the most recent release, ‘You.Know.Want’.
Following the well-received 2024 singles ‘Red Wall Colliers’ and ‘Amygdala Algorithm’, ‘You.Know.Want’ continues the vision of Benjamin Mace-Crossley (vocals and guitar) but brings in Sam Edwards (bass) and Juan Sanchez (drums) for a fresh take on We Have Ghosts. Leaning further into the 90s alternative rock scene, ‘You.Know.Want’ offers something heavier than the past material. Recorded and produced with Lewis Brookes and mastered by Ben Pike, ‘You.Know.Want’ is a bold combination of pounding drums, a pulsating bass, and soaring guitars twirling in a silvery sonic concoction.
A little easier on the ears and slightly more modern – although it continues to grasp at retro styles – ‘You.Know.Want’ showcases a divergence from the past We Have Ghosts. However, that being said, the staccato abruptness of punk remains in the sharp, splicing, spoken-word vocals.
Melodically, ‘You.Know.Want’ can crawl into your brain with rhythmic instrumentation, but it is the clinging of the brash lyrical execution that sticks in your heart. Intriguing as the theme of ‘You.Know.Want’ is as spiky but lingering in a melee of dark, tragic vulnerability. We Have Ghosts explains:
“It’s about confronting dishonesty – yours and theirs. That moment where everything feels like a performance. It’s bitter, but it’s also honest.”
So, my overall opinion of We Have Ghosts and ‘You.Know.Want’? The single captures a duality of smarting grit and flowing charm, giving it weightiness. We Have Ghosts, however, takes the weightiness to another high offering profoundness, depth, raw emotion and underlying craziness for the masses.
Find out more about We Have Ghosts on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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