The Ghosts of Searchlight’s ”Sprawl”

11/29/2021

A music review of The Ghosts of Searchlight’s “Sprawl” album release.

”Sprawl” is a journey through the desert in a fast car, windows down, the air hot and dusty, the horizon shimmering and shifting, destination unknown. This is essentially an instrumental rock album. A fusion of surf, postmodernism with a hard core commentary on experimental esoteric existentialism with a distinctive cultural apocalyptic vibe.

The Ghosts of Searchlight’s ”Sprawl” is a more polite road warrior meets a cinephile’s wet dream. Gorgeous melodies, driving and spiraling echoing guitars, fascinating soundscapes that Wim Wenders would weep for. Melancholy strings, moving mandolin, a little harp scattered about. Mixing soulful with screaming.

It’s as if Vangelis and Georgia Moroda had a crazy weekend in Vegas together and then drove home all night playing Pink Floyd. No regrets, no prisoners, a perfect ending to something wild and beautiful.

The album is vastly cinematic, of course. But, the music paints pictures of heartache as much as it does fear, humour and suspense. Rhythmic and melodic and brilliantly produced, It has heart and an electric ‘live’ sound, something poignant and worth repeating.

I loved it. Can you tell? So, now, I’m going back through The Ghosts of Searchlight’s catalogue of work, searching for more of this spectacular music, custom made as a soundtrack to our intensely unpredictable lives.

Order “Sprawl” (limited edition colored vinyl or digital) on Bandcamp.