Ghostrain

Ghostrain is Luke Gustafson, whose songs emerge from his bedroom studio on the four tracks of a Yamaha MT150. Some of these tunes date back nearly a decade, but there’s nothing stale or archaic about this album. Its peculiar ambiance is established on the first song. Quiet and unobtrusive, though potent and engaging, its an album you listen to because it whispers in your ear like a secret. There is something spooky about it, like an echo that gets twisted and comes back sounding different. Gustafson’s sensibility spans a folk to funk spectrum, yet he is subtle and unpredictable. Just when you foresee a hook or turn of phrase, it’s spun a different way. His sound is bare bones and he plays every song on his own, but where did the ghost go? Ghostrain’s website is gone, and this album, now a couple years old is the sole testament to its existence. Gustafson was a member of Vancouver’s Magic Ass, but they broke up a few months ago. Will Ghostrain now reappear? A shiver up the spine says I hope so.