Veteran pop rock quartet The Copyrights have resurfaced with a quick and easy EP entitled New Ghosts. A recount of old flames burnt to ashes, the four-song album expresses how time doesn’t necessarily heal all wounds — it just forms real ugly scars. Relationships are the fabric of our existence, yet simultaneously the undoing of us all… and in this age of technology, we stay connected with evils long after their expiration date. Thus, we are haunted by New Ghosts every day: witnessing through social media how our exes and enemies thrive as they move onto their next unsuspecting victims.
How can you go on living when tormented by the dead?
The only viable exorcism from this madness is to delete your social media, take up kickboxing, get weirdly into spiritualism, or — as The Copyrights’ opted — put it into music. By feelings of exploring rejection, isolation, and anger through music, the band created an outlet to regain happiness, peace, and value. It’s all buried “In There Somewhere” waiting to be unearthed, as lead singer and bassist Adam Fletcher puts it in the opening track. In an audible explosion of drums and power chords, Fletcher shouts, “Joy… I need to track you down. It feels like it’s been so long since we had it out.” Processing pain is hard when paired to inflated pride and ego, yet Fletcher is finally ready to ride “through it all”. It’s time to come to terms with what happened and accept the new normal — no ghosts allowed.
The EP continues with “Born To Hide”, with lyrics like “run away, don’t look back, get out now while you still can.” Talk about a fight or flight response… The Copyrights say they were “born to hide”, that running away is the answer — “it’s no time to be brave”. But you can’t run (or hide) from your problems; they will find you, no matter where you are. Enter track three — an anthemic song of hope. “Are you scared to sleep alone at night?” Asks Fletcher, admitting that he’s scared “most all the time”. But enough about him… it’s time to reconnect with the human race. Just because “no one’s found gold in forever” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still dig for “Buried Treasure”.
Get up, get out, get some. It’ll be good for you.
The EP ends with “Haunt Me Still”, with spooky synths leading to strums leading to drums leading to solemn vocals about a minute and a half in: “You could end me, but there’s not much to kill // There’s new ghosts, but they’ve got big sheets to fill // It’s been years now, you haunt me still.” From pills to potions, there’s no antidote to the torture these memories evoke — distress that audibly culminates at the chorus with all the Copyrights boys shouting it out. Time to cast out those demons with force!
New Ghosts is now available on all streaming outlets as of October 18th via Fat Wreck Chords. Or, if you prefer, a limited edition 7″ vinyl can be purchased here, highlighting off the EP’s intricate artwork by Ryan Dunn. For more information, visit the links below.
The Copyrights – “In There Somewhere”
Track listing:
- In There Somewhere
- Born To Hide
- Buried Treasure
- Haunt Me Still
Listen to ‘New Ghosts’ EP:
Cover image photography by Patrick Houdek
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Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.
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