Jukebox The Ghost
Let Live & Let Ghosts (10th Anniversary Edition)
Yep Roc Records
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From Billy Joel to the keyboard kid in School of Rock, pianos havenβt always been considered the βcoolβ instrument in rock. No one told Jukebox the Ghost. Their cheery, piano-driven debut album, 2008βs Live and Let Ghosts, is getting a well-deserved tenth anniversary reissue.
Like fellow pianist Ben Folds, to whom these guys have often been compared (even touring with him after Let Live and Let Ghosts), Jukebox the Ghostβs music works because they embrace their insecurities and donβt try to sound tough. βOh my god, if I tell him, heβll tell her/Then she will know I like herβ, frontman Ben Thornewill sings on βHold It Inβ, setting the tone.
At times Thornewillβs dramatic voice, accompanied by theatrical musical touches, can be grating. Slower cuts like βMy Heartβs the Sameβ play up the melodrama but lack the enthusiasm or catchiness of the other tracks.
On Jukebox the Ghostβs twitter there is a photo of the band from ten years ago accompanying the Let Live and Let Ghosts reissue announcement. Each member is clad in a bright, V-neck sweater and mugging for the camera. They look nerdy as hell, but they own it with confidence. Itβs an encapsulation of everything they do right on Let Live and Let Ghosts.
ArtistΒ Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JUKEBOX THE GHOST – LET LIVE & LET GHOSTS (10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)
Matt Morris