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Ghost Balloon

by Person Whale

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  • Limited Edition Ghost Balloon Cassette
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1.
2.
Joker Smoke 05:09
3.
Federal Gaze 02:45
4.
Hinge Hippo 02:25
5.
6.
Territories 02:25
7.
8.
Split Mind 03:09
9.

about

cover art by levi biel

recorded on a tascam portastudio 414 and a tascam porta 07

"Iowa is the most land-locked, beach-free place you can possibly imagine so it seems fitting that when Person Whale plays surf it sounds more like a shark-attack than a Sunday on the shore. Don’t step on any hypodermic needles when you trek through the band’s latest scorcher “Ghost Balloon.” This new full length album from these Des Moines punks is out on a limited edition cassette being release today (Thursday, Aug 4) at Vaudeville Mews. The band throws the local scene into the mix with this decade’s garage rock revivalism that has mostly been an export from a fertile Bay Area scene typified by acts Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, Thee Oh Sees and Shannon & the Clams. Person Whale’s take is a bit more on the vicious side of life. The two opening tracks introduce a near-blown guitar distortion that suggests metal until you hear the Ventures-esque rhythms that orients the tone more in the world of fuzzy, evil rock’n’roll. “Hinge Hippo” offers a bad-trip up-tempo waltz that approximates the feeling of seeing a beautiful sunrise while stumbling home drunk. “Split Mind” slows down the tempo while proportionately cranking up the scuzz before the album throws itself back out to the sea with a final track in which psychedelic lyrical images float above an encroaching wave of pure noise. These guys turn Surfin’ USA into Drownin’ IA." - Nate Logsdon

"Person Whale has been a Des Moines rock institution for about three years now. They are a prominent figure in Midwestern rock music in the 2010s, and for good reason - they play a ridiculous amount of shows, all over the region, and their shows are full of energy and aggressively enthusiastic. Luke Belknap sings and writes the songs, with Jake Pease almost always on drums, Tony Weir on bass, and previously, Ryan Dawson on guitar and Jack Bequeaith on synth. The majority of their albums were recorded on four-track recorders, some on handheld recorders, and one (The Fool) even on a cell phone, giving them a crunchy, fuzzy, primitive stereo sound. My favorite of their albums is Strange Habit Edit, something Belknap made by himself, with guitar loops, drums, and incomprehensible vocals.

But this album, Ghost Balloon, is their most adventurous and dynamic release yet. It includes "Hinge Hippo" from Strange Habit Edit and "Misses Kisses" from ;∞, and if you've ever seen Person Whale live recently, you will recognize some of these songs. But you have not heard these songs in this way. This band is something creative, something prolific, that emerged from the endless cycle of boring rock bands and boring rock shows in Des Moines. Among the risks Person Whale takes on this album, are bubbling guitar loops, rapid tempo changes, and atypical song structures. Person Whale has grown as an artist tremendously in the past three years, and Ghost Balloon is symbolic of their immense influence on rock music in the Midwest.

The most remarkable songs on this album are the sprawling and organic "In Waves the Sleepy Bird Chimes and Turns Purple", which was released individually a couple months ago, and the mournful and desolate "Haunted", which ends the album on a heartbreaking note. This might be Person Whale's last album in Des Moines (and I honestly hope it is, because it would be a perfect note to end on), but what is known for sure is that this band has outgrown this town. Person Whale is too creative and energetic for a town full of boring, unremarkable rock bands, they deserve something much better. They will be moving to Olympia, Washington in September, where their musical endeavors will continue. But, to make a long review a short one: Ghost Balloon is among the handful of interesting rock albums to come from Des Moines and you should listen to it." - T.A. Babcock

credits

released August 4, 2016

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Person Whale Des Moines, Iowa

rest in pieces
see you later at the resurrection if it ever comes
thanks for the love
<3 pw

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