With the introduction of their third studio album “Holy Ghost” on May 13, 2016, Modern Baseball proved that their electric, energetic style of indie punk rock mixed with just the right amount of adventurous young adult angst has no signs of stopping. The 11 track album is adventurous, heartbreaking and personal, tugging at the heartstrings in the best possible way and making the album as great as it is.
“Holy Ghost,” the first track and namesake of the album, lulls the listener in with a soft acoustic guitar and backup vocals, with an electric guitar offering some auditorily pleasing feedback about 45 seconds into the one minute song. The electric guitar builds up and beautifully throws the listener into the second song, “Wedding Singer.” The high-energy, drum-and-lead-guitar-dominated introduction to the song switches gears between the first and second songs faster than you can say MOBO, the band’s abbreviated name. The verses – despite sounding like run-on sentences, with references to at least two different locations within the song when written out, as is the band’s style – have a summer-romance, almost wanderlust, feel to them.
The third track, “Note to Self,” continues MOBO’s wanderlust-y style. It incorporates the classic “I hate my town” mantra, often seen in pop-punk, as the song’s chorus begins with, “Where I want to be still seems a thousand miles away/ But pretending we feel safe right here gets harder every day.” This song can easily be added to a road trip and, if the band was more popular, would easily become a classic car ride sing-along.
Among the more somber songs of the album lie “Hiding” and “Just Another Face.” “Hiding” easily reels you in with its melodic, calm acoustic guitar and lighter vocals. The song is lyrically reminiscent of some of The Smiths’ acoustic songs like “Asleep” and “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want,” while musically reminiscent of some of The Wonder Years’ acoustic pieces like “Madelyn” and “No Closer To Heaven.” However, even these comparisons are a stretch because MOBO has developed such a unique sound that even though it’s similar to certain bands, there’s still that distinct sound. As for “Just Another Face,” the song still has the drums and electric guitar, but it feels as if you can listen to it on a mellow night drive without sacrificing the serenity. The crash cymbals on the drums are slightly softened during the verses, so they feel smooth with the rhythm instead of jerking you back into the song. The overall melody brings a calmer peace of mind, if indie punk rock brings any peace of mind to you in the first place, that is.
My favorite song on the album is easily “Mass,” the fourth track. The song jumps right into the lyrics, and, true to what I mentioned earlier with naming locations, the song mentions not one, not two, but eight different cities and states. The song’s missing-a-significant-other theme easily catches the mind, but the sense of travel and exploration is captivating and fun. Of the memorable lyrics from the song some of my favorites include, “Days like this I miss listening to records/ Making coffee together/ Snow globes and Jersey sheets” and a particularly funny one for a New Yorker like myself, “Bury me beneath New York state/ It’s the only place where I feel dead.”
Overall, the album comes as a strong third studio album for the band. It has fun lyrics, catchy lead guitar, simple yet effective drum rhythms and emotionally relatable themes. These assets, combined with their strong stage presence in which they feel comfortable and actively engage their audience, show the band is ready for the mainstream – against the wishes of many fans who want to keep MOBO their little secret. And mainstream they go, playing nationwide and worldwide tours, even performing at Lollapalooza. Needless to say, it will be exciting to see what they come out with next.
