Cynical Afterthoughts
Well, this is interesting! ”Ghosted” is the newest single from Toronto based rock foursome Cynical Afterthoughts. Released in August, this single will be on their new album, Lovers Reversed, due out this month. My eyes were bored, so I clicked on the link to the video and was not disappointed. I’m a sucker for a well produced performance video. Right away, you can tell that this band knows what they are doing. We’ve got tight playing woven into clever chords, voiced beautifully on a gorgeous Gretsch. Oh, and I love that 6 string bass (I love it so much I bought one—decades ago! Lol. I’m so old!). The tone is dialed in nicely at the edge of breakup and then seamlessly transitions to a sweetly restrained modern high gain delight. Unison punches at the end of the phrase highlight the deftness of the whole band and prepare you for the vocals.
The verse arrives with sick drumming, complete with hi-hat rolls and open punches, accentuating the rhythmic interplay between vocals and accompaniment that enters and exits unison phrasing to great effect. What about the vocals? The vocals are excellent, reminding me slightly of Haley from Paramore, and not because I’m an idiot who immediately thinks a female vocalist fronting a rock band sounds like Paramore. Well, I may be an idiot, but I digress. I said ‘slightly’, so there is definitely a uniqueness here, too.
A short pre-chorus ushers in a chorus that flows well into a wonderful use of a chromatic walk-down, giving it that bluesy tension and release that satisfies every pentatonic-loving rock enthusiast! The exemplary integration of that “blues” note alone makes this a must listen! It’s so good!
Another satisfying cycle through a verse and a chorus brings us to the bridge, highlighting Polina’s vocals with the hooky refrain “Cuz I’ve been ghosted.” Lest they be ghosted by me, I should mention that the band finishes up the bridge nicely with some firey playing before bringing it back to a final chorus and the hooky “Cuz I’ve been ghosted” outro.
I’m impressed. “Ghosted” is a cool song that is a fresh blend of sonic sweetness. I recommend giving it a listen on your favorite platform, watching the video, & checking out their album when it drops!