Husky Rescue - Ghost is not Real (Album)
So many records are so similar, predictable… bland. Then every now and again a little gem pops up its head that has a freshness and an energy that makes you remember how good albums can be. In my opinion, and others have differed, this album is a little piece of Finnish magic. Scandinavia has such a habit of producing bands that put a spin on a tried and true formula that seems to pay tribute and reinvent the genre, all at the same time. The Hellacopters and Turbonegro did it to cock rock. Ace of Base, ABBA, the Cardigans, and (god forbid) Aqua did it for pop. And the Knife and, now, Husky Rescue have done it to electro.
I once read an article about the Cardigans, and it said their guitarist was considered one of the heaviest rockers in Sweden. Initially I thought that this was laughable as his heavy rock leanings were clearly not manifest in sheen pop of the Cardigans. However it soon occurred to me that they were right. When you listen to their songs they have that epic sound and structure of the heavy metal symphonies recorded in the 80s and 90s, of bands like Tool. Multiple riffs, big production, and many, often subtle, tempo changes. I think Husky Rescue are the same. Their songs have a brilliant complexity of depth, layering and dynamics, and full of surprises. There is voice box, call and response, programmed synths, electro lap steel guitar!! It is one of those albums you can dive into, headphones on, and get lost in completely. But don’t get me wrong, this is not an Emerson, Lake, and Palmer or Alan Parson’s Project prog rock fest. It also has great pop smarts, especially in songs like Silent Woods, but for me it is the songs without ‘single’ pretensions that the real genius lies.
I don’t know why other critics haven’t liked this one. Absolutely top notch.
