The Ghost of Lemora - Love Can Be Murder (2021)

Listening to the new album by UK band The Ghost of Lemora entitled “Love Can Be Murder” ultimately brings a thought to one’s mind that the five-piece that has been around since 2001 is one of the most promising bands in the alternative rock today. The London-based band has a knack for soaring, glowing mixture of genres thanks to passionate musicianship and directness, but also a tender, intimate delivery in the vocals and guitar as well as an ability to venture into various emotions, even if sonically not much changes.

“The Player” kicks this thing off being sunny but ghostly with floating keyboards that just wander, like they and the ethereal vocals are lost in the world creating a wide-eyed outlook. Towards the end the guitars become more direct, making for a liberating sensation. “The Beginning of the End of the Western Dream” is just an extra level of bombast this time around in the thick, punchy chords, but the overall vibe remains serene. “Pictures” is like having your legs in the shallow end of the ocean, the way the reverb-drenched guitars and almost spoken vocals wash over you like you’re in a life-affirming scene in a film and the lavish keyboard bends truly make it cinematic.

Album closer “I’ll Be With You Tomorrow” on the other hand is more comatose with brooding, sparse notes at the start. However, the song gradually ascends with more direct, pouring playing thrown in and its flourishing sneaks up on you due to how close the whole track is. One minute you’re being put to sleep with aesthetic for an operation and the next you’ve woken up repaired. Before that the title track however injects some liveliness with more swift picking and stompy moments combined with the glimmering tone that defines much of the record.

“Love Can Be Murder” sees The Ghost of Lemora carrying the beauty and skill that already made them so special across a whole album, naturally making for one of the prettiest records of the year.