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I Am GhostWe Are Always Searching Epitaph/Shock Is it just my imagination, or is the line between "alternative" and "mainstream" really starting to blur? Consequently, bands like I Am Ghost are now able to abandon the independent labels and underground clubs to bask in the bright lights and deeper pockets of the bigger record companies. The result? Highly polished songs with perfect tone and pitch, with beautiful harmonies wrapped around elegant piano and violin arrangements. But where's the heart? Where's the feeling? Where's the dirt and grime and attitude that used to be synonymous with bands like these? With its dark themes, macabre artwork and poetic song titles, 'We Are Always Searching' is just another gothic/emo album you can add to the ever-increasing pile. Granted, I Am Ghost are good at what they do. This is probably one of the better albums in what's quickly becoming a very, very wide genre. But the formula's getting all too simple. Death and vampires? Check. Broken hearts and unrequited love? Double Check. Copious amounts of makeup and fake blood and romantic sentiments? Triple check, and then some. The album's not without it's highlights though. Comparisons to My Chemical Romance and The Used are almost too easy, but tracks such as the ferocious Kiss Me Like You Wanted - We Will Never Tell and the softer Lady Madeline In Her Coffin really stick out despite the contrast of their sounds. The addition of violin to the mix is interesting, but at times makes I Am Ghost sound like a more aggressive version of Yellowcard. By the time the final track drops, the band's songwriting formula becomes glaringly obvious and their sound more than a little monotonous; and for every band releasing albums like these, a dozen other clones are jumping on board, hastily applying their eyeliner and hairspray and clogging up the airwaves. It's all getting a little boring, really...  |
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