Hurricane Bells: Tonight is the Ghost

If you are trying to figure out who the band Hurricane Bells are then you might want to look up the singer Steve Schiltz. He’s the vocalist for the band Longwave who has taken the time to create a whole new album called Tonight is the Ghost under the title of Hurricane Bells. What I did find out about Hurricane Bells is that it’s a man one band of Steve Schiltz. With not only writing and singing the songs on Tonight is the Ghost, but Steve Schiltz has played all the instrumentals heard in the songs himself.

Being a one man band usually ends up just sounding like a one man band, or being a joke. At the time of listening to Tonight is the Ghost I didn’t know that Steve Schiltz is the only one doing the work on the album because it does not sound that way. The songs on Tonight is the Ghost are sung well, though some songs can come across as a little on the whiney side, they are still performed well. There’s also this not quite dark side to the songs but not to the point of it sounding evil or depressing. There’s also a mellow sound to the songs on Tonight is the Ghost that gives them a relaxing feel that I enjoyed.

At times the instruments are a little on the slow side that made the song too slow and a little boring. The quality of the songs are good, just that the method of how they are played and sung can be a little boring. Steve Schiltz has a good voice, better than most, especially with the levels and notes he sings with on his songs. Along with having a good voice, Steve Schiltz is talented enough to play the instruments himself where it can be heard that he is a talented man. But, just because he can sing, play instruments, and can mix it all together to create a album of 10 songs all by himself does not mean that they are all fun songs to listen to. With one song, ‘I Can’t Remember’, I was just bored with the song as a whole. It’s played well as far as having the skill to play it goes but it’s just a boring song to me. Now not all of the songs are this way, what I thought of Hurricane Bells before learning it was a one man band is that it’s a band with maybe 3 members that just like to play the mellow songs.

Once I did learn that Tonight is the Ghost is a one man band of Steve Schiltz that is all I could think about, as it might be seen in the way I keep repeating the fact. After learning that fact I come to enjoy the songs a lot more than I did on my first listening of the CD. Is it because I’m impressed with how Steve Schiltz is able to put out a whole CD by himself that’s better than some CD’s that are made by bands with up to 5 members or maybe it’s because the songs are likeable enough that with further listens the songs will grow on you? Either way, I liked Tonight is the Ghost because of it’s mellow sound it carries in the songs and how Steve Schiltz was able to produce an album of songs that are not overbearing.

CD Images

Cover: 

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