On ‘SaberToothed’, LA based alternative rock outfit Love Ghost strip things down to the basics, the fundamentals of what makes rock and roll, rock and roll. Combining together with producer Danny Saber, their latest work mix their more commonplace and resurrected style of emo rock with slightly less mainstream and unconventional guitar driven alternative grunge music. In many ways, the EP is a tribute record, one that pays its dues and good graces to the icons of the 90s that paved the way for a more angsty, emotional, and personal form of rock music to the forefront of audiences.
On ‘Tribe’, the soft and ominous introductory verse gives way to a thundering and aggressive hard rock section that serves as the perfect opening for this pulsating record. That oscillation between brooding and thundering is resoundingly powerful. Before long, you’re bound to be singing ‘you’re not part of my tribe’ with the same verve and intensity that Love Ghost perform with. Although their dreams of taking this record to a live audience were cut woefully short by the pandemic, you can just hear how powerful this record would be had this group been given the opportunity to take their work live.
Songs like ‘Hated’ which veer a lot more towards the emo rock side also become highlights to the listener. But what the definitive MO that Love Ghost have on each track is this ability to take a soft and enticing opening and flip it entirely with heavy crashing guitars and drums to create a hard rock energy to yearn for. There’s a flow to this record, a constant and perpetually emanating drive that Love Ghost instil into their listeners on each and every piece on SaberToothed. At times modern and alternative, at other times nostalgic and paying their dues, it is a wonderfully cohesive piece of rock music for all kinds of listeners. As long as the sound of the electric guitar interests you, SaberToothed will give you enough and more to marvel at.