Ioseb

The Ghost of Thirty Three

Written by: DR on 27/04/2010 19:58:54

Despite the lack of information available about this band, I have managed to deduce that they are from an area close to Norrland (Google informs me this is in Sweden somewhere), and that their debut, "The Ghost of Thirty Three", is named after a myth originating in 18th century London (involving love, children, murder etc). This isn't a concept album though. At least, not in a traditional sense. It almost feels like Ioseb are trying to recreate the atmoshpere rather than tell you the story through lyrics.

Kudos on the ambition - it's not often you can say that about any post-rock band. But see, Ioseb aren't trying to be just any post-rock band. Rather than have ten songs all building towards a loud, explosive crescendo - usually any of which could be mistaken for This Will Destroy You b-sides, as seems to be the fashion with most n00bs - this quartet are determined to prove they can do slightly more than hit drums hard and make their guitars sound noisy.

"The Ghost of Thirty Three" is an attempt to take the listener through a wandering journey. Very few bands can truly hold a listeners attention in the manner required to achieve this, so it might come as no great surprise that Ioseb don't completely pull it off. For the large part, this album is merely decently executed. They undoubtedly have their moments, like "When The Bomb Hit The House Next Door" and the orotund ending to "C/O Night", which is just about enough to forgive the 11-minute length of the song, and "Moment 22" because during they make clever use of genre-typical guitar-lines by fading them into the background, which adds another level to the ambiance. However, then there are tracks the drag on ridiculously long like "Epilogue" and "The Sea Et Al / 2nd Movement", neither seem at all like they want to make ten minutes-plus fly by.

Ioseb took a risk by putting out a debut album that lasts over an hour. It's certainly a sign of aspiring intent on their part, and one could only applaud that whilst wishing many other bands in the same over-populated waters would follow suit. What one fails to laud quite as much is the music itself, because although it's never really that bad - it's mostly pretty decent - but it doesn't possess the required attributes to demand your attention and elevate "The Ghost of Thirty Three" out of the waters and onto an island all of their own.

Download: C/O Night, When The Bomb Hit The House Next Door
For The Fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Her Name is Calla, Balmorhea
Listen: Myspace

Release Date 2009
Self-Released

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