Ghostkeeper’s [MySpace] debut album Children of the Great Northern Muskeg is an alternative folk/rock americana montage – ironic, since the band is from Calgary. Once you listen to the album, and subsequently wiki “muskeg,” you’ll find yourself playing connect the dots as to the deeper philosophical ramifications bridging the two… or you’ll spend your time trying to decipher the often hard to hear lyrics. The songs emit a diverse palate of musical experimentation, which at times makes it a bit disjointed, though inimitable. And let’s not forget the inclusion of classic rock guitar riffs thrown in at random points.

Odd.

Each band member takes their turn at the mic, but what’s notable is the flowy transitions between lead singer Jay Crocker and Sarah Houle (+1 for a chick drummer who isn’t Meg White). There seems to be an intentional awkwardness in overlapping of the pair’s voices, which is quite effective in regards to the vibe of the album. The vocals also seem to be spoken more than sung, which, by the time you hit the last song, comes off as a little stale.

The lyrics are lovingly pragmatic. In “Afternoon Girl,” Houle advises us to “stick to the beer, it’ll keep you honest / don’t dance with boys that like to bite.” In the peppy “Lady of the Sky” the lyrics suggest that there was a disagreement of sorts (“now I’m going to call you on it / to be honest, I’m mad at ya”), but the happy guitar and the optimistic tone of Crocker’s voice suggests that this anger is comical, or fleeting at best.

Ghostkeeper is clearly attempting to carve out an identity that needs to be fine-tuned. They came to the two diverging roads in a yellow wood, and tried to take both.

Score: 2/5

“Three More Springs” [mp3]

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