’‘Holy Ghost’, Modern Baseballs third album, was a change in approach. The endearing self-deprecation is still very much apparent; the lyricism is both earnest and witty thanks to Jacob Ewald and Brendan Luken’s turn of phrase. Yet the fun that Modern Baseball have used to cut through melancholy over their last two records is missing, resulting in a darker tone. It’s ironic that while this is their first album to use an external producer (Joe Reinhart), it’s the most introverted they’ve sounded.
That’s not to say the new album isn’t great, because it is really good stuff. Modern Baseball now angle their trajectory towards the more brooding bands in their scene, like The Wonder Years, which is no surprise given their Philadelphian roots. It’s less of a celebration of adversity that finds comfort in the relatable and much more an exploration of one’s own turmoil, which is compounded in the lack of interchange between vocalist Ewald and Luken. Instead they choose to split the record in half, exacerbating their isolation and commanding the record’s tone.
Official Music Video for ‘Wedding Singer’ by Modern Baseball from the album ‘Holy Ghost’ released May 13th, 2016 on Run For Cover, Big Scary Monsters Records
The Fat Angel Sings 