Raving Ghost

Raving Ghost is a title that suggests a direct connection to the "garage goth" Olivia Jean played back in the days of the Black Belles, the short-lived band she fronted at the dawn of the 2010s. As soon as the title track slides into a slinky go-go groove, its clear that she has opted for the lighter side of the fence this time around. Like Night Owl before it, Raving Ghost is almost a one-woman show. She doesnt play drums -- duties that are largely split between Carla Azar and Patrick Keeler -- and Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. comes by to lay on keyboards, but the production and all the other instruments are all Olivia Jean, who makes this sound as tight and raucous as a well-oiled band. The album overspills with retro nods -- waves of surf guitars, swinging rhythms, garage grime, and greasy organs -- all cobbled together from thrift stores and old records, yet the execution is fresh and clever. Not everyone would reimagine Enyas enveloping new age anthem "Orinoco Flow" as a punk pogo, but thats the key to the appeal of Raving Ghost: its coming from a place thats equal parts fun and irreverence. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine