REVIEW: Cool Ghouls - Cool Ghouls

We have standards here at When You Motor Away.  If we are going to mess around with ghouls, at least we insist that they be Cool Ghouls.  Unlike regular ghouls who hang around scary hallways and moan, Cool Ghouls create the most exuberant and joyful garage pop on the market today.  Whether singing in unison and call-and-response to shaggy surf and roots inflected jams ("Ballin'"), proving their psychedelic chops ("Witch's Game"), penning a modern classic '60s hit ("Queen Sophie"), or creating the best Monks songs the Monks never did ("In the Morning" and "Supernatural Forces"), the emphasis in their self-titled debut LP is on energy, hooks and, most of all, fun.  And they know that getting in and out of the song in about three minutes is the way to do a pop song.  Would you like proof that these ghouls are cool?  Try "Natural Life" --


Cool Ghouls - Natural Life from Robert Thomas on Vimeo.

Cool Ghouls are Pat Thomas, Ryan Wong, Pat McDonald and Alex Fleshman, and they make their home in San Francisco.  While they have released material previously, Cool Ghouls is their debut album.  Their influences are on the surface, and you'll readily detect the twangy roots style of the Sir Douglas Quintet, the folk/punk of The Monks and the garage psychedelia of The Troggs.  But the sense I get is that Cool Ghouls aren't intent on recreating anyone else's history, they are writing their own.





OK, pay attention to some procurement details.  The vinyl and digital of Cool Ghouls is available from Empty Cellar Records.  The Cassette is available from Burger Records.  Here is a link for the digital download as well as the vinyl order.

Here are the remaining tour dates:
May 15 - San Francisco, CA - The Depot
Jun 2 - Portland, OR - The Know
Jun 3 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
Jun 5 - Santa Rosa, CA - House Show
Jun 6 - Santa Cruz, CA - Jury Room
Jun 7 - Fullerton, CA - Burger Records
Jun 8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Smell
Jul 13 - San Francisco, CA - Phono Del Sol Fest
Aug 3 - San Francisco, CA - San Frandelic Psych Fest

Facebook
Tumblr
Bandcamp
Empty Cellar Records
Burger Records