Anne, If: Vinyl LP

Pre-Order Item. Release Date Subject to Change.
Label: Full Time Hobby
Release Date: 20th January

Sometimes it feels like rock, especially the kind of just short of being really heavy, blues and rock n roll inspired kinda rock has been hijacked by the Saxondale's of this world and repackaged as 'Classic Rock' for folk who can't help but leave the snarky remark 'not an iPhone in sight' in the comment section of a Who gig from the 70s. It's a shame because late 60s and 70s rock was anything but classic, it was about borrowing the sounds of the past and adding excess. Ghost Woman are a 'rock' that sound like they've always existed, like their songs have been used on documentaries to celebrate the adventurous and experimental period but with an eye on expanding on the work of the masters of yesterday. 
Time to take back Rock from the Top Gear lads.

For those who dig: psychedelic rock, blues rock, stoner rock, proto metal, rock n roll... 

One could be forgiven for getting that familiar feeling when listening to the music of Ghost Woman. And that's not just because songwriter & multi-instrumentalist Evan Uschenko is deeply steeped in classic guitar-led rock & pop songwriting (more on that later), it's that the music was, by design, intended to be evocative. But not evocative, however, of any one thing; what separates the music of Ghost Woman from a great many other bands working today is his openness to non-specificity. He's not trying to impart any sort of message to the listener; instead, the hope is that one will find themselves luxuriating in nuances of how the music is delivered, and the feelings it stirs up for each individual. 

For the past couple of years Ghost Woman has been Evan Uschenko's outlet for his interest in songwriting and recording, which began after a number of years spent playing as a sideman in various Canadian indie ensembles, most notably in the Michael Rault band, a group that displays a similar affinity for perfectly dialed, partially yesteryear-looking guitar pop. Following 2022's self-titled debut, issued by UK-based Full Time Hobby to great critical acclaim, Anne, If presents a slightly more expansive vision of what Ghost Womancan offer. 

The sound of Anne, If is certainly in keeping with past output: the music was performed and recorded (almost) entirely by Uschenko himself on his trusty Tascam 388 tape recorder, during what he describes as a “strange new chapter” in his life, living in a large, expansive house with nothing to do except record music, watch old VHS movies, and cook meals over an open fire in the backyard. “The ability to be making sounds and recording at any time of the day had a big influence on the way I worked and what was produced,” he says.