“They are always different; they are always the same.”
As John Peel once famously said about the Fall, perhaps the same can apply to The Besnard Lakes? Peerlessly consistent, familiar and with a purity of vision and level of quality that is hard to rival in modern music.
Except, they are not always the same. The new album The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation illustrates this perfectly. Yes, the same sound world is present; the keening, lilting vocals of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas foregrounded, but there is a lightness and optimism at play.
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.
“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.”
In a crowded leaderboard of their own making, The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation is the undefinable group at their best; striving for hope when it is needed most.
EDITIONS/VARIANTS:
D2C Variant: Exclusive D2C Splatter variant of The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation. Gatefold jacket. Includes 600mm x 600mm double-sided fold-out poster with lyrics and album art.
General Variant: The new album: The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation on Clear Vinyl with printed inner sleeve.
CD: The new album: The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation on unpack CD.
ALL VINYL IMAGES ARE MOCK-UPS AND MAY NOT REPRESENT THE FINAL PRODUCT