Last month, when Ryan Adams passed through town, I got a little
misty-eyed for the days when Adams was a force to be reckoned with.
Long before the singer/songwriter was known for his hit-or-miss solo
work, his artfully disheveled hair, and actress bedding, Adams was the
brash frontman for Whiskeytown, the last great crossover hope for the
alt-country movement. Their records were a bold mix of country’s twang
with a heavy dose of Fleetwood Mac radio pop, all of which flourished
in the interplay between violinist/singer Caitlin Cary (who played the
role of the good cop), and Adams, who was young and reckless, a live
wire clad in pearl snap shirts and always on the verge of either
greatness or another onstage train wreck. Either way, you couldn’t help
but watch.
And we did watch, but the result wasn’t what we had planned.
Whiskeytown fell apart, and Adams immediately released
Heartbreaker, the raw solo album we all hoped he’d make. It was
flawless, but it was also his finest work, as the next seven years have
been one disappointment after another. So, like most onetime fans, I’m
moving on. But just as I bid farewell to the drinking dirges and sullen
love songs of Adams, I came across Brooklyn-via-Seattle band Ghosts
I’ve Met.
Much like Whiskeytown in their prime, Ghosts I’ve Met balance out a
sincere delivery of late-night head-on-the-bar boozing songs and
slow-burning love ballads for the brokenhearted. What’s even more
impressive is that this wonderful sound comes from a brand-new band
without a record on the shelves.
“It’s our first tour as a band, so we’re starting out with just our
five-song tour EP, from there we’re going to work up to a full-length,”
says frontman Sam Watts, calling from a tour van slicing through the
wasteland of mid-Texas.
For a band with no backing and only a few songs under their belt,
Ghosts I’ve Met have been enjoying their initial tour, thanks in most
part to the rich pedigree of musicians in the band. Guitarist Ben
Blankenship spent time in Modest Mouse, cellist Brent Arnold used to
front a band (Brent Arnold & the Spheres) that was released on
fabled indie Up Records, and violinist Margaret White tours alongside
two of rock’s most intriguing personalities, Cat Power and
Sparklehorse.
With all this talent on one stage, Watts & Co. have their sights
aimed high, and are ready to leave the bar for better things. “We’ve
been doing a lot less country,” he says. “I think I’ve been pretty
happy trying to steer the ship away from the sad, sad, lonely
three-chord blues.” Just as long as that steering keeps the band far
away from Ryan Adams, they’ll be fine.
Ghosts I’ve Met perform at the Towne Lounge on Monday,
August 20.