SEAHAVEN’s name makes me think of a condo community in South Florida, which is kind of odd since the artwork is basically photos of deer frolicking alongside a river in an area that looks decidedly untropical. Musically, however, SEAHAVEN reminds me of three different contemporary bands at different moments throughout the seven songs on Ghost, with the bands being BRAND NEW, older CRIME IN STEREO, and BROADWAY CALLS. For a set of modern influences, that’s a hard combination to pass on, particularly because SEAHAVEN show a well developed sense of songwriting and introspection. Opener “Plagues” bears the largest similarity to BRAND NEW, especially as it starts off with only rapidly tossed vocals and sinewy guitars, but once the wall of distortion kicks in, the band finds itself on more firm post-hardcore terrain. “Birds” and “Love” are two of the album’s swifter tracks and it’s here where the band seems most comfortable in their sound, with energy and tension oozing about. The mild, lucid shouting and growling in “Birds” even has a PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS edge to it, which is very cool since few bands ever reach between the poles of sung and screamed vocals anymore. The only hang-up I have with Ghost is the title track, which is a moody, two and half minute struggle for direction. It starts off as hushed but building as an interlude piece and then it breaks up with pounding drums and haired screams that seem out of place with the rest of the music, especially the bubbly pop-punk on the following “Love.” This might be the first time that I have ever wished for a band to junk the title track of their release. Ah well. That one pockmark aside, Ghost is an EP with a lot to give, and SEAHAVEN have the tools deliver a knockout full-length.

Creator Destructor