Ghosty - Grow Up Or Sleep In

"Broken Horse is proud to present the debut album by Lawrence, Kansas Ghosty. Situated slap bang in the mid west, Ghosty have been perfecting their unique brand of psychedelic pop since 1999 when mainman and songwriter Andrew Conner jumped states from his home town Sioux Falls in South Dakota to the undiscovered music capital of the USA & otherwise sleepy college town, Lawrence, KS. Grow Up or Sleep In was recorded over a two year period as Ghosty perfected & cemented their live sound & following as finances allowed, with production assistance from Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Cursive) and Trent Bell (Flaming Lips). Fate intervened during the Bell sessions though when Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips felt the sudden urge to get into his local Oklahoma city recording studio at short notice. Unfortunately for him, Ghosty had block booked the studio to record the lions share of Grow Up or Sleep In. However, affter about two minutes consideration, a starstruck Ghosty soon allowed him to muscle in on their studio time for the required day. A rapid mutal appreciation soon developed and Ghosty were called upon to record A Change at Christmas (Say It Isnt So) with Wayne, which ended up appearing on The Lips Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell EP. After retiring with Ghosty demos overnight as homework , the next day Wayne repaid the favour by re-working and singing on Ghostys Cloud Solve It (which appears as an uncredited bonus track on Grow Up or Sleep In). Grow Up or Sleep In follows in the melodic tradition of such North American greats as The Shins, Pavement, Built To Spill and The New Pornographers yet is fused with Connors unique day to day lyrical examination of every day young American life. "Big Surrender" (the first single from Grow Up) is one of those pop concoctions that is damn near perfect, with hooks as big as the open prairie skies and arrangements that build in anticipation that mirror the building restlessness of the lyric. An instant classic just like those effortless Pavement singles that Steven Malkmus & Co slipped out on a regular basis. Tracks like "Jacqueline" and "Rooms In The Dark," are delicate, introspective songs that are filtered through folk, prog and jazz influences. "(In A Big World) Little Dreams Count" and "Clouds Solve It" are the most straightforward "pop but even those have their own unique twists, turns and key and tempo changes that showcase an imagination that's creatively doing laps around most of its peers.

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