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Is There a Ghost

2007 single by Band of Horses From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Is There a Ghost
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"Is There a Ghost" is the first single taken from Band of Horses' second album Cease to Begin, released on August 28, 2007. It reached #34 on the US Alternative Songs chart and #30 in Denmark, making it the band's most successful song until "Casual Party" reached #27 on the Alternative Songs chart in 2016.

Quick Facts Single by Band of Horses, from the album Cease to Begin ...
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Background

The lyrics consist of two lines repeated throughout the song: "I could sleep, I could sleep. When I lived alone, Is there a ghost in my house?" According to the student newspaper The Reflector, "A simple finger-picked melody morphs into a strum-and-drum tour de force; there are layers of guitars, but not too much distortion.[1]

In general Cease to Begin has a more Southern rock, less indie sound than Band of Horses' debut album Everything All the Time. However, "Is There a Ghost" has a strong indie feel, in contrast to the rest of Cease to Begin.[2][3]

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Reception

Critical response to the single was generally very favourable. An article in The Scotsman singled out "Is There a Ghost" as one of the main reasons that Band of Horses have received significant international attention,[4] however one reviewer disliked the "polished" sound of Cease to Begin, saying that, "In the switch from low to high fidelity, Band of Horses sacrifices a good deal of angst and quality."[5] Others were more enthusiastic, with one reviewer claiming, "'Is There A Ghost' is the catchiest song with only 14 words to its credit since Pearl Jam's 'Smile'."[6]

Rolling Stone ranked "Is There a Ghost" at #93 in its 100 best songs of 2007.[7]

The music video for "Is There a Ghost," directed by Brian Savelson, won the 2008 MVPA Award in the Alternative category for Best Direction.[8]

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Chart performance

More information Chart (2007), Peak position ...

Personnel

  • Ben Bridwell - Lead vocals, guitar
  • Rob Hampton - Guitar, bass guitar
  • Creighton Barrett - Drums
  • Ryan Monroe - Keyboards

References

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