Dan Friel audaciously moulds 28 minutes of potential aimless noise into a precise palette of sound design. As co-frontman and electronic guru of Brooklyn's experimental punk band Parts & Labor, Friel summons the skills developed in that band and exceeds them as a solo artist. He manipulates his gadgets in order to create a uniquely organic auditory sensation. The record is profound yet accessible. Most tracks are in fact danceable, propelled by an underlying euphoria. A vagrant cacophony of pitch bends and squeals ignite the album, which gradually mesh into a fluid stream of ridiculously catchy 8-bit synth melody lines. Refraining from whistling proves quite difficult.
Transmutation occurs with One Legged Cowboy. A theremin-like trance seeps through the dial-tone electronics to create something majestic. Fuzz gradually hijacks and threatens the peace. Drums thump like a nervous heartbeat and before you know it you're back on you feet, dancing to the ephemeral Appliances of Bremen. The symphony of tones and textures are moulded from early Add N To (X). Valid comparisons to Fuck Buttons and Dan Deacon may also seem palpable at times.
Friel's despise for anything high-tech is evident. Cheap keyboards, stomp-boxes and walkie-talkies dominate instead. The DIY lo-fi approach and absent vocals allows the listener to focus on individual sound elements which stray from being cluttered. Unlike many albums of this nature, nothing here is taken for granted. And there are no gimmicks. Instead, Ghost Town employes many techniques to keep things fresh - abrupt octave changes, pitch squeals, distorted synth notes and incessant drumming. All achieved in a humble manner.
The amalgamation of these techniques culminate in furiously ear-piercing music. However, what makes it so unique is not all the noise and racket, but the melody in between. It forms a contrast that induces a feeling of bittersweetness, adapted from the bare conventions of traditional pop music.
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