Former Ghosts – Fleurs (2009) [Upset the Rhythm] // Grade: A-

Former Ghosts, a new project combining the talents of Freddy Ruppert, Nika Roza and Jamie Stewart is exactly what I’d imagine a merging of their respective acts, This Song is a Mess But So Am I, Zola Jesus and Xiu Xiu to sound like. Fleurs overlooks the weaknesseses, and incorporates the strengths of each act for a doom and gloom filled debut.

Stewart steps out of his career singer-songwriter role and, alongside Roza, lends backing to Rupperts’ hallucinatory moaning. “I Wave” is colored with the most Xiu Xiu influence, but finds Stewart’s vocals pleasingly restrained and accessible. “The Bull And The Ram” and “In Earth’s Palm” both allow Roza to shine, sounding her career best. There is a haunting Kate Bush clarity in her vocals not present in the material of Zola Jesus that stays with you well after Fleurs has ended. Mixing three distinctly different voices, Fleurs is a symphony is darkness sung by choir of corpses.

Former Ghosts could have easily (and successfully) gone the guitar, drum and keys route, but instead rely on dark synthpop in the vein of Human League and Ladytron to carry Fleurs. Overlaid with heavy reverb, the album’s instrumentation plays savior from the assured Joy Division ripoff comparisons that would have come with a traditional band backing. Ruppert emulates Ian Curtis a bit too heavily at times, but muffled by synth lines and feedback Fleurs feels more like a tribute than the work of copycats.

Vocal variety and a synthpop influence stylistically characterize Fleurs, an emotionally-charged crawl through heartbreak, agony and desire from the Former Ghosts.

- Scrooge McFuck