Music, Style & Culture

First On: Gathered Ghosts

Craft Spells side-project with a Wild Beasts-like quality.

One of 2011’s most underrated albums is by California’s Craft Spells. ‘Idle Labor’ was the romanticised first work of Justin Vallesteros. Soon after its release he recruited a few companions to play the songs with him on tour. One of those was Javier Suarez, whose Gathered Ghosts side-project has gained momentum at a similar rate to the ‘Idle Labor’ record.

After a self-titled, self-released album/cassette, Suarez has taken to releasing an EP this month. Three of its tracks feature Andreanna Wilson, but its most notable effort is ‘Two Apples and a Cherry Tree’; a fully-blossomed pop song that sits somewhere alongside early Wild Beasts with its percussionary style and vibrant guitar section. The track was played on this week’s ‘Into the Blogosphere’ on DIY Radio and the rest of the EP ought to have, if it weren’t for time constraints.