Almost certainly Belfast’s most promising post-punk prospect, Ghost Office, have just made available their second EP, Desire Lines.
With new bassist Carl Small in tow and new material to be unveiled in coming months showing further songwriting spark, Desire Lines is just the beginning of what will be Ghost Office’s defining year so far. With each cut an under 3 minute short burst of undistilled creative flourish, throbbing bass & jagged Fender attack the band – both live and on record – bursts with vitality, while the confluence of musical & literary influences conjure acts like Parquet Courts and Protomartr‘s knowing self-loathing, lent broader purview with vocals from former-bassist MK Maguire, and founding members Joe Gilson & Richard Bailie.
Leaning further in 60s avant-garde NYC, the drone of 10-minute closer ‘Life In The Third Person’ hints at further experimentalism going forward, while, as ever, Rocky O’Reilly’s production at Start Together Studios manages to draw out the band’s inherent pop credo & knack for hook-driven writing.
Desire Lines is available on cassette & digital formats via Bandcamp. Stream it now on Spotify:
