Unique among their furrowed brow peers, The Besnard Lakes are unafraid to marry textured, questing headphone sonics to the honeyed pleasure of radio hits past: the rapture of My Bloody Valentine entwined with the romance of Fleetwood Mac. Imagine dreamy Beach House riding Led Zeppelin dynamics, with unabashedly androgynous vocal harmonies; a melodic yet mountainous sound world.
On The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation (10th October 2025), the band return with their post-rock psych; but this time around, with a lightness and optimism at play.
“I feel like it's a very formidable title, symbolic of the times,” says Jace. “It's talking about the death of nations, the threat of Canada being the 51st state. There is the desire to be left alone, to let community be community, all of those things that feel like they might be under siege; that's what the ghost nation is.”
The band confirm this was partly in response to their last album, 2021’s The Besnard Lakes are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings. “The last record was so heavy,” reflects Jace. “There was so much weight and heavy themes, like my dad dying. It was just death everywhere on that record. This album doesn't really seem to be that. To me, it seems very playful.”
In a crowded leaderboard of their own making, The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation might just be their best album yet; a strive for hope when it is needed most.
