History
Ghosts In The City
24 Hour Service Station; 2008
Keyboards and synths have been in and around popular forms of rock music for generations now, mostly because the piano is the foundational instrument of all Western music. However, there was a time and there have been assorted musical trends that eschewed and mocked the use of the piano, mostly because it took actual musical training to play the instrument. Pianos weren’t cool or edgy and they certainly weren’t easy to pack into a van along with guitars, basses, amps, and drums for a tour across the country. Yet, the piano has made a distinct comeback in recent years, from indie rock bands seeking to broaden their sound to metal and hard/postcore bands hoping to borrow some atmospherics from progressive rock.
So, when Orlando five-piece History embraces the piano on their debut record Ghosts In The City, they do so with gusto. Not only did they bring in a keyboard to round out their musical fervor, but they chose to dedicate an entire roster spot to a guy who plays a Moog. That’s right – a Moog is being used, not by some over-hyped, trendy dance-rock band, but by somewhat technical post-punk band. While the group’s overall aesthetic isn’t all that original, they are rather spirited in their presentation: ardent male lead vocals, glittering female high harmonies, chunky chord progressions, spot-on rhythm section, and (don’t forget) two keyboards. With great tracks like “Horn of the Unicorn,†“She Spit In My Cup,†and “Far From Being An Obstacle†leading the way, History has made a solid sonic contribution to the echelons of hard-edge bands implementing a keyboard with some semblance of efficacy.