Apes- Ghost Games

Genre indie-rock Publisher Gypsy Eyes External Links Apes Website

Not the kind of Apes we see in Zoos, these Apes come from the nation's capitol; and instead of going to see them they come to a city near you. What began in 1999 continues to this day with Jackie Magik (bass), Lucius Twilight (vocals), Majestic Ape (keys), and Ronald Wolf (drums) charm us with their brand of guitar-less pseudo-rock. Their newest release, Ghost Games, is the bands' 8th studio release. The album has 11 tracks.

The first track from Ghost Games is a thumping song called 'Practice Hiding'. It is notable for its heavy usage of organs and keyboards and digital effects which create a carnival like sound that peaks with all sorts of climatic liberations and sassy glam rock. 'Beat of the Double' is a song which lives on the unity of bass and keys. Twilight's vocals round it out with his now established tenor style and haunting sounding falsettos. Like a triumphant Barron lost on LSD the song ventures in ways you may not expect. The album's 4th track 'Which Witch Wuz' could be a popular favorite for its wild mixtures of dance pop and hard rock themes. It sounds a lot like something we might have heard from David Bowie had he arrived in this contemporary era. The song never breaks beat and excluding the possibility that a keyboard can mimic such a sound, a heavily distorted guitar can be heard. One of my favorite tracks from the album is 'Dr. Watcher'. The dynamic contrast that exists while the song is actually happening almost sneaks by logical interpretation if not for careful listening. The music exchanges between something very ominous to very fun. The Twilight's vocals explore this strange sound as if he were as uncertain as the listener.

Coming in as the albums 7th track is 'Speed Reach'. One must appreciate its apathetic sound that slips abruptly into and out of surrealism. Not Ghost Games' best track, but definitely worthy of a stop if you're scanning tracks. 'Info Ghost' begins a telephone answering message before it corners into a rump for a bass lick. Ronald Wolf pounds along on his tom drums to give this a sassy rock appeal. As the song continues, it becomes increasingly difficult to describe, especially when it dives into an offbeat like double tracked vocal bridged with an electro-salsa like breakdown. This is probably the best song on the album, but not necessarily for its radio appeal. 'G.R.F' begins with a drum beat that sounds like its going to become a punk rock song. The Apes seem hardened about this direction as the fast paced melody becomes totally dissonant. The keys are constantly descending scales and steps in strange ways and there is definitely a strong guitar presence.

Ghost Games by The Apes is a wild ride of truly ghostly disproportions. You will find yourself defenseless to its very strange appeal. Not every song is a masterpiece and no song is a chart topper, but Ghost Games is an example of the whole being greater than the parts. This album is intended for listeners who want something whacky and different with their rock and roll. The Apes do a good job of delivering the kind of pitch that only some of us want to understand it.