Ghost in the Water: Tooth

The husband and wife tandem of Nathan and Mandy Tensen-Wollery create some interesting, atmospheric melodies on this album, sounding a bit like the Cure if Robert Smith thought the keyboards were the end all and be all of the band. At least that’s the case with “I’m Not Afraid of Falling” which also resembles a sedate performance by the New Pornographers. The band aren’t afraid to take listeners on a ride with the initially maudlin then poppy “Lake Ice” which again recalls a Canadian group, this time Stars. They revisit this template soon after with the gorgeous, harmony-driven “Cardinal Red”. Mandy takes the reins for the gorgeous, Björk-ish “A Nightmare” that has more quirky, ambient-leaning accents. The greatest asset this album possesses is how highbrow it is without being overly arty. A great example of this is the lush, reflective “Clean Sinks and Folded Laundry”, a roughly three-minute nugget that ebbs and flows. Ghost in the Water go totally retro though for the chipper, synth-pop of “How to Draw a Ghost”. Another keeper has to be the majestic “Pushpins and Tape”.