By Monk
We first strayed into the path of the appropriately named Ghosts Of Sunset last September, when the Nashville duo, accompanied (as they were) by one Johnny Monaco, casually sauntered into our Singles Club and hit us fairly and squarely between their eyes with their debut track, ‘Miles In Between’, before turning on their cowboy boot clad heels and walking out – but not without promising us that there was more to come! And, sure as a fuck is a fuck, five months to the virtual day later, Messrs Long and Merchant have once again kicked in the doors of ÜRHQ and planted this debut EP defiantly and emphatically into one of our multiple death decks, turned up the volume and pressed the little arrow that spins the little shiny disc around and around…
As the names of both the band and the EP indicate, ‘Headed West’ is a mini-concept album. Despite its two progenitors having spent the majority of their musical careers in what could be regarded as the alt-/indie-pop/rock genres, both titles are a tribute to the duo’s mutual love of hair metal (and, looking at their photos, neither of them has much of the former remaining). It tells the story of a fictional Midwestern band (GoS themselves hail from Nashville) and traces their move to Los Angeles, their rise to national touring artist and their subsequent decline as tastes and the industry itself changes. And to emphasize the duo’s love of all things Eighties, the EP features a collaborative cast which includes former (and in some cases current) members of some of the biggest bands of the era, including L.A. Guns, RATT, Enuff Znuff, KIX and Lita Ford’s band; in addition, the opus was produced by Adam Hamilton, known for his work with Missing Persons, L.A. Guns (natch!) and Vains of Jenna (as well as William Shatner and David Hasselhoff!).
The opening snare snap on the title track suitably reflects the feel of the wheels turning on the band’s chosen mode of transport as they head towards the perceived bright lights of the City of Angels. Johnny Monaco is an ideal choice for the lead vocal, as he more than ably mimics the sound of likes of Bach, Michaels et al. The optimism of the band is reflected in second track, as they prepare for ‘Another Rock ‘n’ Roll Show’, reflecting the sheer hard work which bands of that era had to put in in order to get any form of recognition as well as the over-saturation of the LA scene by almost identikit acts seeking to follow in the footsteps who did indeed manage to enjoy some modicum of success. However, some of the travails which they would subsequently face are reflected in the darkness of the lyrics, which are delivered with suitably smile-on-your-face-despite-the-pain-inside energy.
The sense of darkness grows ever more imminent on ‘Miles In Between’, which beautifully addresses the challenges posed, particular to relationships, by extended periods of road trips: “I forgot to ‘phone home after last night’s show…” is a sentiment with which I am sure many professional (or even semi-professional) artists can identify. Similarly, ‘Never Goodbye’ draws us deep into the transience of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, as the band find their career slowly disappearing and themselves “back where we came from” as the ‘next big things’ are “waiting to take their ride” and the story’s protagonists find themselves faced with the prospect of either retiring gracefully or re-inventing themselves.
The commentary on the era continues with ‘It’s Not Over’ as the band, like so many we could name in real life, contemplate the possibility of the “legacy” market by staging a comeback: the lyrics here have a particular sense of irony, as the band mourn the loss of what they once had, before deciding to fight their corner one last time and ‘Try It For Love’, albeit accompanied with a much more mature outlook. Like it’s predecessors, the EP finale is acoustic-led, perhaps a commentary on the realization that advancing years mean that the days of jumping off drum risers while whirling their guitars around their perm-haired heads are long behind them…
Overall, ‘Headed West’ is a beautifully crafted and executed EP. Some people may have been tempted, quite understandably, to draw out it’s concept to a full-length album, but the fact that it has been kept in this fore-shortened format is one of the things that makes it work. It reflects the paucity of the very subject which it addresses: the band’s flame burning brightly before being extinguished almost as quickly as it was lit. The lyrics in particular are incisive, yet concise, and obviously the voices of experience, and provide an educated and erudite commentary on the EP’s subject. It may be something of a nostalgia trip for all concerned, but it is also a worthy one, especially in these troubled times when sometimes we feel all we have left to live on are our memories of past glories.
- ‘Headed West’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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