Cloud Cult – “Feel Good Ghosts” Track-by-Track Review

April 10, 2008

It’s completely amazing to me that Cloud Cult, who released my favorite album of 2007 exactly one year ago, have put together another album of this high caliber, in addition to non-stop touring, painting, and saving the world. Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) is another wonderful album from the band (although doesn’t quite top 8) and it’s the first album of the year that I’m giving the full track-by-track review treatment.  If you haven’t already heard the album, I absolutely insist that you pick up a copy through Cloud Cult’s online store.

No One Said It Would Be Easy

The album begins with a completely stunning array of arpeggio piano notes and the rugged zig-zaw guitar that Cloud Cult is known for. The piano slowly dissipate as drums, acoustic guitar, and a choir of voices join in creating a beautiful, transcendent moment, it’s one of many (the album hasn’t even been on for a full minute). The song continues to impress with a chorus that could be used to explain many of Cloud Cult’s lyrical outputs: “when it all comes crashing down / you try to understand your meaning / no one said it would be easy / ’cause living it ain’t easy”. The guitar playing in this song is out of this world.

Everybody Here Is A Cloud – Download MP3

Judging from the music video that has been shot for this song that features over a hundred extras, this is Cloud Cult’s choice for first single, and a fine choice it is. If you’ve listened to the band much in the past you know how much they love songs that build from scratch to a huge finish, and this song is a perfect example of the technique. The song is incredibly fluid in it’s construction, even as it pieces together sections with different rhythm and tempo. By the time the conclusion comes (with kazoos!), you won’t know what just hit you. Let me also say how much I love the “bah duh / bah, bah, duh,duh” background vocals in this song.

The Tornado Lessons

The Tornado Lessons is an extremely quirky and short song with tornado sound effects, creepy halloween organ and sped-up chipmunk vocals mixed with regular speed vocals. Cool ending.

When Water Comes To Life – Download MP3

This is the first song I heard from this album, and it remains one of prettiest and affecting songs I’ve heard from the entire year. It begins with a extravagant string opening that almost have a theatrical quality. Throughout the song, the strings evoke a sense of water running or bubbles coming up to the surface. The vocals are the highlight, Craig Minowa starts out singing solo but is progressively joined by a choir of angelic voices singing “All you need to know / Is you are made of water”, with a razor sharp guitar line accompanying. Finally, the instrumentation swells and everyone starts chanting “Water, Water, Water!”, which provides a triumphant ending to this beautiful piece of work.

Must Explore

A quote recorded at the Apollo 15 moon landing “Houston, As I stand out here in the wonders of the unknown … I sort of realize there’s a fundamental truth to our nature. Man must explore.”

Journey Of The Featherless – Download MP3

Another absolutely gorgeous strings/acoustic guitar combo at the beginning of this song. Very upbeat and joyous song with out-of-the-blue references to “cell phones” and “ebay”. Craig Minowa gives another superb vocal performance here especially during the “Pretty Lucky / When I’m Gone” verse which has some great vocal layering. The strings are reprised at the end with some interesting/unique sound effects going on as well. Probably the most lighthearted, jubilant song I’ve heard from the band, and a major highlight for the album.

Click below to read the rest of the review.

The Ghost Inside Our House

The first true ballad of the album, and a beautiful one at that. Reminds me very much of “Song of the Deaf Girl” on The Meaning of 8. This one’s almost all Craig and his acoustic, with a touch of strings to pull those emotions. The lyrics focus spirituality, concluding with the words, “even though I don’t know God, I’m happy with the mystery / and I’m certain that I feel it, every time that you sing to me”.

It’s What You Need

Whistling, Electronica, Organs, Yelling, Punk Rock. All in a 1:07 package.

Story of the Grandson of Jesus

“Story of the Grandson of Jesus” is an fast-paced, headbanger of a song continuing with the punk rock of the last track. The highlight is the punchy, chaotic verses with lyrics that go from bizarre “He served us communion / Of cola and twinkies” to strangely poignant “And it’s okay if this world / Had a billion saviors / Cause there’s so many things to be saved”. This song would kill live.

Hurricane and Fire Survival

Has a very chilling piano intro with some spooky synth and vocal effects. The whole song creates a ominous, urgent mood. Appeals to the band’s freaky experimental side, there’s some crazy electronic effects and a section where guitar seems to be imitating Craig’s voice. Totally weird and awesome.

May Your Hearts Stay Strong

There’s some crazy distorted percussion going on in this song that I like. The drummer in Cloud Cult really adds a lot to these songs. The lyrics describe an out-of-the-ordinary love story while the background is full of distortion, ambience and haunting piano. I’ve heard this song is a b-side from The Meaning of 8, and you can kind of tell they threw a lot of ideas into this song and not all of them work. Definitely interesting but overall not one of my favorites.

The Will of A Volcano

It seems like the second half of this album is filled with much more experimental, noisy stuff while the first half is much more pop-oriented. This song definitely follows the pattern, the intro sounds like a sped-up polka (or maybe a jig). The lyrics repeat over and over while the music gets more and more chaotic in the background, by the end the band is seriously rocking out. There’s a huge wall of noise at the climax and then a glitch-sounding ending. Very cool.

Love You All

The beginning of the song contrasts a very pretty melody and charming glockenspiel, guitar, and trumpet with heavily digitized vocals (aka the peter frampton talkbox effect). The results turn out surprisingly well in my opinion and they transition to their regular voices soon enough. The lyrics almost seem like a farewell from the band, ” And when it’s my time to go / I need you to know / I love you all” is repeated against the anthemic string arrangement. I’ve heard that this is the band’s last album, and while I hope it’s not true this would be album would be a wonderful note to go out on.

*update – hmm, doesn’t looks like Pitchfork feels the same way.  It doesn’t help that the reviewer skips all the BEST tracks in his review (no mention of “When Water Comes To Life” or “Everybody Here Is A Cloud”???).  It seems like Cloud Cult’s becoming one of those scapegoat bands for them.  And how does Sun Kil Moon not get Best New Music?

Posted by Taylor in Album Review, Track Review